


Clarity

by Straya



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Incidental SerAli, Incidental SorMik
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2019-10-28 07:58:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 69,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17783570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Straya/pseuds/Straya
Summary: Rose is an eighteen year old senior at Ladylake's Lefay High School. Now that her final year of public schooling has begun, she's got a lot on her plate to accomplish before graduation - homework to do, reports to write, college applications to fill out, helping her adoptive father run the family business, handling community service hours for graduation credit, and somehow managing a social life in between it all.Dezel is a nineteen year old college freshman attending Ladylake University. His days are occupied with attending classes and completing coursework, as well as arguing with his nosy, but well-meaning roommate. Anti-social by nature and struggling to adjust to campus life, he tends to spend most of his free time away from the noise and crowds around the university.When the two meet at a local animal shelter as volunteers, things don't get off to the best of starts. But trial and error, time and patience eventually lead both Rose and Dezel down a joined path they never knew they both needed.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here it is! The first chapter of my NaNoWriMo project from this last November! The project on the whole still isn't complete at this time, but I figured since I've gotten several chapters finished by this point, I might as well start posting them up periodically.
> 
> I'd like to extend many thanks to NighttimeSabbatical, who originally came up with the idea of Dezel and Rose meeting in a modern setting for the first time at an animal shelter. Everything else that is the rest of the story was built up around that concept, so without her idea and her permission to use it, this fic might have never been written at all.
> 
> As always, I'd also like to thank DualtheSol for her input and proofreading. She's been with this one from the very start, reading it as I've been writing it in chunks and providing feedback and suggestions on a regular basis.
> 
> My thanks to those of you who've been keeping up with my DezeRose fan fics, as well. I appreciate each and every one of you, and hope you'll enjoy "Clarity" as much as the others!

The ringing hall bell marked exactly thirty minutes of semi-freedom for the juniors and seniors of Ladylake's Lefay High School. Slipping her statistics textbook into her black and magenta backpack, Rose joined the flow of students eager to exit the classroom and quickly made her way to her locker for a textbook trade out prior to heading for the cafeteria. All around her, other students paused by sets of lockers to converse in small groups, chattering excitedly about plans for the weekend.

It had been roughly a month since school had been back in session, yet somewhere between the rush of class registration, senior yearbook photos and dealing with college applications, it felt like it had been less time than that. Rose couldn't help but recall how, as she was leaving middle school behind a few years ago, that it felt like her public education would never end. Now, here she was, trying to make the kinds of life choices that would supposedly put her on a lasting career path.

In a way, it was exciting, if somewhat nerve-wracking. It was a lot of prep to handle in such a short amount of time. Rose knew she had an advantage many of her classmates did not, however. She knew earning a business degree was her end goal, as was working within her father's company until such time that the reins were passed along to her. But where to go for that degree? Stay local if the option was open to her or choose a school in another area? If she attended the major university in town, did she want to experience dorm life or continue living at home? And what about her friends? How often would she see or hear from them once they all started pursuing higher education away from public schooling?

Speaking friends, her two closest companions had already beat her to their usual table, their outerwear – a tan jacket and a dark blue hoodie – slung over the backs of their chairs. As Rose entered the cafeteria and hurried over to take a seat, slinging her backpack into the empty chair next to her, both Sorey and Mikleo looked up from a book they'd been paging through, the latter adjusting his glasses with one hand. Probably another rarely checked out history book from the library. Those two absolute nerds would never give up reading and research the old fashioned way, but Rose had to admit it was part of their charm.

“Hey, guys,” Rose said as she sat down and got her bag open to pull out the lunch she'd packed that morning. “Research or recreation?”

“Technically the former, but can't it be both?” Mikleo responded before sliding a college pamphlet into the book to hold their place before closing it up. “Learning about history isn't a chore for some of us, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah, I'm just teasing! Jeez.” Despite her dramatically exasperated tone, Rose couldn't help but smirk. Teasing the boys was a daily occurrence. They should be used to it already, given they'd known each other for almost their entire high school careers. “Anyway, what are you guys doing tomorrow afternoon after school? I was thinking about going to a movie at the mall theater. Take a break from everything before my weekend chores and homework.”

“Oh, ah, actually we're probably going to head over to the middle school,” Sorey said as he popped open a bottle of soda before taking a sip. “Mikleo and I were thinking we could do our required community service hours there, tutoring some of the students who need a little extra help in their studies.”

“I actually called their office yesterday afternoon to ask about it as soon as I got home,” Mikleo added as he got out his own lunch, “and they were interested in matching us up with a few eighth graders. We just want to talk with the office staff in person and have our paperwork signed before hopefully getting started in a week or so.”

“Oh, right, the community service stuff for Civics class,” Rose sighed around a bite of food. “Almost forgot about that. Guess I should get on that, given we have to do like twenty hours worth before the semester's over and I've already got a crap ton of other stuff to do.”

“Did you have any idea what you might want to do? Any ideas at all?” Mikleo asked.

“I mean, not really,” Rose admitted, not bothering to slow down in eating while she talked. Fortunately, her friends were used to her less than stellar table manners at that point. “I guess I could volunteer at a soup kitchen or something.”

Both boys grimaced a bit. Sorey was the first to speak again. “Uh, no offense, Rose, but...maybe that wouldn't be the best option.”

Rose blinked before her brow furrowed. “Huh? Why's that? Don't tell me you guys think I'd mess that up somehow!”

“Well, you did almost set the Home Economics room on fire last year,” Mikleo reminded her, careful to swallow his own mouthful of food before bringing up that very valid point. “Working with food isn't exactly your forte.”

“Now wait a sec! I am planning on working for my dad once I'm out of college! Don't forget we run a grocery chain business,” Rose shot back, her tone causing both boys' shoulders to hunch up.

“Well, there is a difference between selling food and preparing it, or even serving it,” Sorey added quickly. “Not that you couldn't help with dishwashing and general cleaning for a soup kitchen. Still, you should pick something that sounds like it'd work well for you. Something you can be passionate about.”

“Or at least something that doesn't involve cooking and possibly causing food poisoning,” Mikleo muttered, earning him a glare from across the table before a carrot stick was tossed his way, bouncing off the top of his head.

“Why do I hang out with you guys again?” Rose sighed as Mikleo indignantly brushed a hand over his light brown hair to be sure there was nothing in it. “Not the encouragement I was hoping for, here.”

Sorey forced a small chuckle, hoping to set the rest of the table at ease. “Easy, Rose. Mikleo's just being...Mikleo. Sensible to nearly a fault.”

Mikleo shot Sorey a look. “I am roughly eighty-five of your impulse control, Sorey. Yours, too, Rose. When I'm around to talk you out of bad ideas, anyway.”

Rose sighed again and leaned an elbow on the table. “Okay, okay! So bad ideas aside now, what are some actual good ideas?”

Both her friends were quiet a moment, considering the options before Sorey suddenly perked up. Rose swore she could see the light bulb come on over his head.

“Hey, how about volunteering at one of the animal shelters? There's one not too far from where you live, Rose, called 'Maws and Paws Animal Shelter.' We were there just last week to help Gramps adopt a new cat since our tabby passed away before school started again.”

“Oh yeah, I remember you telling me about that,” Rose said thoughtfully as she worked on finishing her sandwich. “Poor Mason. What happened to him, anyway?”

“We think a coyote caught him by the back fence. Maybe a fox,” Mikleo replied with a small, sad shrug. “He was getting old, though. Gramps thinks he was at least thirteen.”

“Anyway, aside from adopting a cat to keep Gramps company while Mikleo and I are at school and stuff, we got a chance to look around the shelter a little,” Sorey went on. “Unfortunately, it seems like conditions there are kinda crowded right now, so they could probably use all the help they can get, even outside of donations.”

“Yeah,” Mikleo agreed, “like they could probably use help feeding the animals and cleaning out crates. Just be prepared to deal with the noise levels.”

Rose frowned. “Noise levels? What, like dogs barking?”

Mikleo shuddered. “Yeah, that. Way too much for me to handle for more than a short amount of time.”

“Oh right, I forgot you're scared of dogs.”

“Just the noise they make,” Sorey reminded her before Mikleo could have the opportunity to be indignant over his phobia. “The cat rooms are quieter, though. And they do take in smaller animals like rabbits and cavies.”

“Huh, well, I guess I could go check the place out after school on Friday instead of going to the movies.” Noticing the time, Rose took a moment to finish off the contents of her water bottle before screwing the lid back on again. “Not like I'm all that big on animals, either, but I guess that's safer than handling food, huh, Mikleo?”

“As long as you don't find a way to set a cat on fire, Rose.”

Mikleo winced as another carrot stick hit him on the head. Rose stuck her tongue out at him. Sorey merely laughed nervously again, one hand on his boyfriend's shoulder as he waved the other between Mikleo and their mutual friend as if to literally fan away the tension. Fortunately, the conversation moved on from there and the teasing abated, allowing all three of them to finish their food and move onto their next classes after the bell rung without feeling irritated. Friends they were, but that certainly didn't mean they didn't get a little annoyed with one another now and then.  
 

* * *

Rose could tell she was near Maws and Paws Animal Shelter before she reached the parking lot. The shelter was located at the end of a narrow road off the main street, the sides of it bare of plants where joggers and dog walkers had pounded the dirt into a hard, secondary road. Other volunteers were out and about as Rose drove by, walking as many as three dogs at a time along what she assumed was probably a safe, set route determined by the shelter staff.

The main building had a parking lot out front, mostly paved and marked, and a fenced-in dog park out back. It was a decent looking place with a combination white siding, red brick exterior, and a green roof. The outside was in need of some fresh paint in a few places but was otherwise maintained enough that it didn't look run down. Rose parked her car and sat for a moment, listening to the sounds of dogs barking, the cacophony dull and distant until she finally opened the door. Ah, right. Mikleo did have a point about noise levels. She supposed she'd get used to it. Besides, she only needed to do twenty hours worth of community service. If she did two hours a day, two days a week, she'd only have to handle all this for five weeks total. It was totally doable.

As she locked up her car, Rose found herself double checking the lock before heading inside. Habit, for now, she figured, since for her it was a new ride. An eighteenth birthday gift from her father, only just received before the school year started. And sure, it was a used vehicle, but it was a _nice_ used vehicle. Relatively low mileage, a sporty red color Rose loved and enough kick in the engine that it would really go when she wanted some speed. She'd just have to make sure to check her shoes before she got back in the driver's seat later; wouldn't want to get dirt and other debris all over her clean interior flooring.

Oddly enough, the sound of dogs barking wasn't as bad as Rose thought it might be in the main entrance and lobby area. Perhaps it was because the dogs were being kept on the other side of the building? From what she could see, it looked as though the cat and small animal rooms, as well as the administrative offices were up front, which made sense. It was easier to conduct business with less noise, even if it was just for accepting donations or filling out adoption paperwork.

“Oh, hello!” A young woman with brown hair emerged from the main cat room with a smile on her face, a laundry basket full of presumably cat hair covered bedding in her hands. “Can I help you?”

“Yeah, I hope so.” Meeting the woman halfway so she wouldn't have to walk all the way over with a full load of laundry, Rose produced her Civics class paperwork for community service from her purse. “Is there someone here I can talk to about community service hours? It's for a class at Lefay High School.”

“Yeah, of course! You'll need to speak with our shelter manager, Ms. Morgrim. I think she's in her office right now, over this way..”

The woman led the way over to a set of doors leading to other rooms before nodding with a smile toward one with a wooden plaque on it that had “Main Admin Office” on it in a charming, handwritten style font. 

“That one, right there. Just knock and she'll get you taken care of.”

Rose nodded with a smile in return. “Okay. Thanks. And I guess I'll see you around here. My name's Rose, by the way.”

The woman nodded back. “My name's Margaret, and it'll be good to have you here helping, Rose! It's hard work at times, but it's definitely good work.”

As Margaret scooted off to what was likely the shelter laundry room to get her work taken care, Rose turned back to the door and knocked three times before waiting for an answer. Footfalls sounded on the other side before the door opened, revealing an older woman with a head of short, graying black hair. She was a bit on the short and stout side, as well, and had a warm smile and friendly, dark eyes. Dressed in a pair of old jeans and a black shirt that had the Maws and Paws logo on it in white, she had the overall look of a neighborhood cat lady. Not the kind that would chase you off her lawn, but rather the sort you could always count on to spoil the neighborhood kids over the holidays with far too much in the way of cookies and candy.

“Hello, dear! What can I help you with?”

“Uh, hi. My name's Rose and I'm from Lefay High School. My civics teacher assigned our class twenty hours of community service work and I was wondering if I could fulfill those hours here at the shelter?” Rose replied as she offered up the paperwork.

“Oh, of course! Do come in and have a seat, Rose,” Ms. Morgrim replied cheerfully as she ushered Rose into the office and waved her toward a chair by an old wooden desk situated to one side of the rather small room, which was half cluttered with filing cabinets, cardboard boxes stuffed with papers and even a few bags of dog and cat food that had probably been hastily tossed there after a recent goods donation. “We're always in need of extra help around here since we're a non-profit organization and we can't afford enough staff to run the place with as many animals as we often need to house.”

As Ms. Morgim accepted the paperwork and sat down in her floral upholstered chair, putting on a pair of reading glasses, Rose took a moment to glance around a bit more. There were plenty of animal photos hanging on the walls, some framed, some simply hung with thumbtacks on the wall or on squares of old, well-worn cork board. A basket full of cat and dog toys rested atop one of the filing cabinets, ceramic animals on one side of the desk near the lamp, and...

Oh. There was a dog resting just behind the desk. How had Rose missed it before? She guessed she'd just been at the wrong angle to notice the animal, given it was laying down with its head on its paws. From what she could see, it looked like a shepherd of some kind. One wearing a service dog vest and harness. Huh. Perhaps Ms. Morgrim required one for some reason.

“We always do have at least a few students show up here every semester to fulfill their community service requirement, so I'm more than familiar with how to sign you off on your logged hours,” Ms. Morgrim was saying as she scanned the information from Rose's civics teacher. “Do you have any prior experience volunteering at an animal shelter or working with domesticated animals in general, cats and dogs in particular?”

Rose grimaced a little. “I don't, no. I never really had any pets of my own when I was younger, though I did use to play with a neighbor's dogs sometimes after school. They were both Labrador Retrievers.”

“Well, we can always show you the ropes in dealing with unfamiliar dogs and cats, and start you on some of the easier tasks around here in the meantime. Cleaning bedding, crates, food bowls, litter boxes and such. We're a little overcrowded here right now, so tasks like those can take up a fair amount of time.”

“That'd be fine. I've never been afraid of a little hard work!”

The older woman nodded in approval and plucked a ballpoint pen from a ceramic mug on her desk, one decorated to make the handle look like a curled cat's tail. She then began to fill out some of the needed information on the top form, humming pleasantly as she did so. “I'll ask Margaret to show you around a bit when we're done here and have her get you started on a few tasks. How late can you stay today, dear?”

“Two hours, if that's okay with you. I don't really have anything else going on this afternoon and I'll have the weekend to do homework,” Rose said as she let her gaze wander over the ceramic animal collection. Half a dozen breeds of dogs, three cats, a pair of white rabbits, a macaw on a little stand... “By the way, is it alright if I'm here twice a week, too? I've got my own car, so I can just drive here after school.”

“I think that'll work just fine,” came the reply as Ms. Morgrim finished up and signed the bottom of the top page. “Alright, then. All done for now! I'll leave it to you to log your own hours, then I or one of the other senior volunteers can sign you off at the end of each afternoon you're here. Any questions at all?”

Rose took a moment to think before shaking her head. “Don't think so, though I'm guessing it wouldn't be the worst idea to bring a change of clothes next time?”

“It might be, yes. If just an old tee shirt you don't mind dirtying up. Even just working with our dogs, some of them can get a bit excitable and paw a bit, so you might end up with dirt smudged on you or a few accidental claw holes here and there.”

“I've got a couple old shirts that I can use, no problem.” In the meantime, Rose would just have to be careful about not getting any permanent stains on her favorite pair of jeans and the cute pink v-neck shirt she had on under her black Lefay High Track and Field hoodie.

“Alright, then. Let's get you paired up with Margaret and she can show you what to do for your first day here.”

The next half hour or so was a whirlwind of information, as Margaret gave Rose the quick and dirty tour of the facilities, showing her the staff and volunteer kitchen and bathroom, the laundry room, the storage areas, their onsite veterinary area, the two cat rooms (one for the socialized group, and the second for those who required crate containment and scheduled play times), the small animal room, the rows of dog kennel stalls, and finally the dog park out back.

“Man, Ms. Morgrim wasn't kidding when she said the place was overcrowded,” Rose commented with a frown as she walked back inside again with Margaret. “Maybe I should talk my dad into letting me adopt a dog. Take at least one off your hands!”

“Hey, if you happen to find one you really fall in love with while you're volunteering here and your dad's totally good with you adopting him or her, go for it,” Margaret encouraged with a small smile. “A lot of our animals are strays off the streets and out of kill shelters, but many of them came from homes that gave them up for one reason or another. Just be sure that if you want one of them, that you're ready to give them a forever home. That's really all we ask.”

“Do you have any pets you've adopted?”

“I do, actually! A two-year-old mixed breed dog named Waggins I took in earlier this year. He's a really sweet boy and a good guard dog. I'd wanted a dog for a while, but it wasn't until I started volunteering here that I found the right companion.”

Rose smirked as they headed down the row of dog stalls, needing to raise her voice a little to be heard over all the barking. “So was he one of the noisy ones?”

Margaret laughed. “A lot of them are noisy until you separate them out. Most of them just want attention and quiet down once you take them outside or even up front to the lobby area.”

Their conversation turned back toward business at that point, Margaret showing Rose to a stack of recently donated crates that required cleaning. The next hour and a half were spent applying elbow grease to the crates and cleaning out stalls as their occupants were taken outside by staff and volunteers for playtime out back or walks along the road out front. It wasn't an easy job and Rose knew she'd want a shower as soon as she got home, but it did feel like the kind of work that was making a good difference. And she liked that.

Near the end of her volunteer shift, as Rose was putting away the broom, brush, and dustpan she'd been using, she noticed Ms. Morgrim exiting a side room in the dog area that Margaret had breezed them by earlier on the tour. With her was a tall, somewhat lanky young man who looked to be perhaps college age. Nineteen or twenty, maybe, with shoulder-length black hair and wearing a black baseball cap, a well-loved black leather jacket over a plain forest green tee shirt and a pair of faded blue jeans with dark gray work boots. Rose paused to watch as he spoke briefly with Ms. Morgim, then set a hand on her shoulder. The two of them then exited the dog kennel area together, the man walking somewhat to one side and behind the shelter administrator, as though allowing her to lead him back up toward the lobby area. As the pair passed nearby, Rose was careful to go about her business as though she hadn't noticed either, though Ms.Morgrim did glance her way briefly. The man at her heels, however, never turned his head at all.

By the time Rose made it back to the administration office after washing up in the restroom, the young man from before was nowhere to be seen. Figuring he must have left the shelter already, Rose shrugged the stray thought off and headed over to where Ms. Morgrim was inspecting some donated supplies that had just arrived.

“All done for today, dear?” Ms. Morgrim asked with a smile as Rose approached. “How did you do?”

“I think so, and hopefully I did alright,” Rose replied, returning the friendly smile with one of her own. “I think I'm even getting used to all the barking.”

“It does tend to fade to the background after a while,” Ms. Morgrim chuckled before turning to head for the office. “Wait here, then. I'll be right back with your paperwork!”

A sign-off and a “see you next week!” later, Rose was on her way out the main doors, thoughts already on the hot shower she'd be able to take as soon as she got home. As she exited the shelter, however, a couple of vending machines near the doors grabbed her attention, the temptation of a cold drink drawing her over. Seeing that her favorite diet soda was available, Rose fished around in her bag for some change and, finding some, slotted it into the machine and hit the appropriate lit button.

There was a whirring and then a loud CHUNK sound from inside the machine. Then...nothing.

“Aw man, are you kidding me?” Rose frowned, brow furrowing as she punched the button again with no further results. She then hit the return change button only to receive an equally disappointing outcome. “Seriously? C'mon you stupid machine!”

It was as Rose was in the middle of trying to stick her right hand up inside the delivery chute that a voice nearby jolted her from her muttered insults against the foul device denying her refreshment.

“Give it a kick in the lower left corner.”

Eyes widening, hand whipping out of the cute as she straightened up, Rose turned to see the young man from before standing about ten feet away. At his side was the service dog from Ms. Morgrim's office, its harness handle gripped loosely in the man's right hand.

“What?” Rose responded, only realizing a second later how idiotic she sounded. He'd just told her what she needed to do.

The man frowned, the slight downward curve of his mouth the only real visual indicator of his mood, as his bangs and hat bill obscured the upper half of his face. It was also about then that Rose noticed the shock of bright green against the rest of his bangs on the left side. 

“I said, kick it in the lower left corner,” he reiterated with some minor irritation. “It's an old machine. You have to persuade it at times.”

“Oh. Uh, right.”

Turning her attention back to the vending machine, Rose drew one sneaker-covered foot back and swung it into the left side, perhaps with a little more aggression than necessary. The mechanical devil had earned it as far as she was concerned. A second later, there was another loud CHUNK from the inner workings of the change devouring beast and a soda can dropped out of the chute and into the trough.

“Aha! Victory!” Rose proclaimed triumphantly as she retrieved her hard earned prize. “Hey, thanks for the help. I thought I wasn't-”

She stopped as she realized the man and his dog had departed. Startled at how quickly they'd managed to take off, Rose cast around a moment before finally noticing them heading out of the parking lot toward the bus stop located on the road leading in. 

“What a weird guy,” Rose muttered, popping open the can of soda to take a sip. “Wonder who he is, anyway?”

“His name's Dezel.” 

For the second time that day, Rose startled, this time glancing back to see Margaret stepping out through the entrance. 

“He's been coming here two or three times a week since the end of summer,” she went on before moving toward the vending machines to get a soda for herself as well. Some change, a kick and a couple of loud noises later, Margaret was popping open a can of cola. “Don't know too much else about him, though. He doesn't talk much.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Rose glanced from Margaret to the edge of the parking lot and the corner around which man and dog had vanished. “What's he do around here?”

“He mostly works with shy and abused animals when we get them, both dogs and cats. I've never really stopped to watch what he does, but Ms. Morgrim says he's got a real way with animals and it's helped us find homes for a few who we weren't sure would ever find forever homes.”

“Huh. Guess some people are just better with animals than with other humans.”

“Some are, yeah, and at a place like this it's pretty helpful.”

Rose was quiet a moment after, mulling over what little information she had about the man who'd just saved her from dry throat hell. “So, um. What's with the service dog? I mean, not to be rude or anything. Just, you know...wondering.”

Margaret shrugged a little. “He's blind, but I don't know how much or how little he can see. Just that having the dog with him is helpful, though she stays in Ms. Morgrim's office while he's working with our dogs.”

Another thoughtful sound of acknowledgment. Another drink from her soda can. Rose huffed out a sigh. “Oh well. Guess I'll see him around again at some point then if I'm gonna be here twice a week. Meantime, I should get home. Got a hot shower waiting for me!”

Margaret nodded, smiling a little in understanding. “Alright. Drive safe, then, and thanks for your help today, Rose. If I don't see you sometime next week, I probably will again at some point later.”

“Alright, see ya!”

With that, Rose made her way back to her car to head home. As she pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road, however, she passed the bus stop and couldn't help but notice that among the few people waiting for the next bus to arrive were Dezel and his guide dog, the former seated on the bench with his companion sitting on her haunches as close to alongside him as she could manage.

Curiosity welled up in Rose, making her wonder where they lived and how far of a drive it was from the shelter. If they always took the bus or if they occasionally got a ride from another volunteer, a friend or a family member.

Or if Dezel would accept the offer of a ride from a new volunteer, if not.

Rose shook her head briefly as though to dislodge the troublesome thoughts. She'd already driven past the bus stop and even if she turned back, what reason would a blind man have to clamber into a stranger's vehicle? She could be attempting to kidnap and harm him for all he knew. Even if he didn't think that it would put him in the uncomfortable situation of owing a favor to someone he didn't know. 

Plus it was never smart for a woman on her own to let a stranger into a confined space with her, especially a vehicle. And especially if that stranger was a man. Not that Rose wasn't up to handling herself in a fight. Her father had made sure that she knew how to throw a punch and use a knife years ago. 

But no, Rose just needed to go home at that point and take that hot, relaxing shower she'd promised herself already. Do a little homework, have dinner, help her dad with the dishes and maybe watch a movie with him before calling it a night. The week was over and it was time to unwind.

Still, though, her mind backtracked again and again to the visual of a young man and his guide dog waiting for the bus. Why, Rose didn't know. Though she supposed if anything, it was just because they were the unknown and she wasn't really a fan of unanswered questions when it came to other people. Some would call it being nosy. Rose just called it being inquisitive.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his chance meeting with a new volunteer at the animal shelter, Dezel returns to the university campus to get in some needed study time. Unfortunately, his dormmates have other ideas. How the hell is a guy supposed to get anything done with so many distractions and questions?
> 
> Meanwhile, over the weekend, Rose has a little chat with her friends about their own upcoming study plans, as well as how everyone's community service efforts are coming along. Unfortunately, Rose also makes the mistake of mentioning something about a fellow she met at the shelter and ends up with a few more questions than she's ready to handle...

The sun was setting by the time Dezel stepped off the bus, his guide dog leading him down the steps to the curb. By way of habit, Dezel counted each step so that he would know when he'd reached the last one and not underestimate that last, somewhat smaller drop to the sidewalk. 

“See you next week, Dezel,” the bus driver, a friendly, elderly man called down as he sat with one hand on the door operating mechanism. “Have a good weekend, eh?”

“Same to you, Neif.”

As the bus pulled away, Dezel adjusted his grip on the harness lead and gave the “forward” command to his companion, urging his guide dog to help lead him toward the correct residence hall on campus. They were stopped only for a moment at the main gate on that side by the evening guard, who recognized the pair right away and waved them on through without bothering to check for any identification. That was one of the few advantages to his situation, Dezel had thought a number of times over; being that legally blind guy with the German Shepherd service dog made him one of a kind at the university right now.

To the right building, through the front doors, past the lobby and check-in area, down the hall and to the elevator. Third floor, second door.

“Dezel! Hey, welcome back, buddy!”

Mouth immediately pulling into a frown of annoyance, Dezel brushed past his roommate, foregoing any sort of greeting and getting right down to the nitty-gritty. “What do you want, Zaveid?”

“Wow, I'm hurt, Dez! Taking my enthusiasm in seeing you as me wanting something.” Zaveid, a second-year student who had about an inch and twenty more pounds on him than the slightly smaller Dezel, parked it on his bed. Amused, deep amber eyes followed the freshman as he sat down at his desk and moved his hand from his dog's harness handle to her head. “Still, it is a Friday evening, ya know. A couple of good looking guys like us, staying cooped up in a dorm room all night's no good!”

Ah, there it was... The attempt to talk Dezel into going out and socializing. Dezel didn't bother to turn his head in Zaveid's general direction. “I have yet to figure out if your over-inflated ego is justified or not. Don't really care to, either.”

“Did you just take a shot at my good looks? Tsk, tsk. That's cold, man.”

“I don't really have much reason to take your word on it, either.” Not that Dezel couldn't see enough of Zaveid in his remaining peripheral vision to make something of a judgment call, but he wasn't about to admit it, either.

The bed creaked as Zaveid stood up and walked over to set a hand on Dezel's shoulder, much to the younger man's irritation. “Sure you do! And you can trust me when I say you're a pretty good looking guy, yourself! So what'd you say? How about we go out, have a couple of beers, maybe meet a couple of ladies...”

Dezel brushed Zaveid's hand away and turned to take a book from his desk that he knew would be sitting there. “I'd say you're taking advantage of the younger legal drinking age in Ladylake. And also, no. Sylph has enough on her plate just helping me find my way around without adding alcohol to the mix.”

At the mention of her name, the dog at his side glanced up at him, cocking her head in concern.

Zaveid sighed dramatically, shrugging and shaking his head. “Aw, c'mon. What about roommie bonding time? You can't seriously stay in here all weekend, studying.”

“I can, I should and I will,” Dezel replied as he opened the book in his lap, feeling for where he'd left his bookmark, fingers sliding over the Braille on the pages after. “I didn't earn my scholarship money by slacking off. And I don't intend to waste my time here.”

“Look, one night out isn't going to hurt anything!” Zaveid couldn't help but argue, a hint of concern sneaking into his tone. “Even for just an hour or two, and it'd be good for you to-”

“Hey, knuckleheads. Didn't anyone ever teach you two how to properly shut a door before you argue like a married couple?” Both Zaveid and Dezel turned their attention to the door to see it fully open again, the diminutive form of one of their dorm neighbors standing there with one hand on her hip. “Some of us would like to do our coursework in peace and quiet.”

“Sorry 'bout that, Edna.” Zaveid attempted to offer her a charming smile. “But maybe you need a break, too! And if Dezel here doesn't wanna join me for a drink or two, how about you? Didn't see you much over the summer months, so we've got plenty to catch up on, right?”

Dezel rolled his eyes and felt around for his backpack, stuffing his book into it once he'd located it alongside the desk. “So damn noisy! All of you. I'm going down to the library.”

“Whoa, hey! Hold up!” Zaveid set a hand on his roommate's shoulder again, only to have it shoved roughly away this time. “No need to get so upset. Edna and I can check out and leave you alone for a while if you really want.”

“Piss off!” Dezel growled. Getting out of his chair, he took hold of Sylph's harness lead. “Sylph, let's go. Forward. We're going outside.”

Edna stepped aside as the younger of the two men exited the room and headed down the hall, back toward the elevator. “Huh, what a hothead.”

At that moment, a second woman appeared in the hallway, stepping out of the same dormitory Edna occupied. Her blue eyes reflected genuine concern as she watched Dezel escape before turning to look at her roommate and then glance into the near room at Zaveid. “Oh my... Zaveid. Have you been pestering Dezel again?”

“What else would he be doing, Lailah? I mean, aside from hitting on the two of us when he's not bugging his prickly roommie,” Edna said with a shrug before turning to go back into the dorm she shared with Lailah. “But whatever. At least all the arguing stopped.”

Zaveid grimaced, lifting one hand to rub at the back of his neck beneath his long black hair. “Sorry, Lai. Guess I pushed a little too much.”

“Oh, Zaveid. I know you mean well, but...” Lailah trailed off, sparing a sympathetic glance down the hall in the direction Dezel had retreated. “You can't push too hard. He's probably still adjusting to being here.”

“I know, I just...” It was Zaveid's turn to trail off helplessly before offering a half shrug and sitting down heavily on his bed once more. “I'll try to stay off his case next time.”

By that point, a few of the other students were poking their heads out into the hallway, wondering what all the commotion was about. Lailah shook her head at them, her long black hair swishing a little behind her. Hoping that was enough to curb their interest, she headed down the hallway toward the elevator, herself. Most of the time, she was fine with letting Dezel slink off somewhere to cool down on his own, but not this time. It was time for a small intervention.

* * *

The chair scraped roughly over the carpet in one of the library's secluded study areas as Dezel yanked it out with his free hand and sat down in it with a huff. Sylph settled at his side with a quiet whine, looking up at him with questioning amber eyes until he took a moment to rest a hand on her head in reassurance.

Just who the hell did Zaveid think he was, anyway? Always trying to drag Dezel out of the dorms, butting into his business, acting like he didn't need to spend so much time studying... Dezel hadn't applied to this school to shirk his responsibilities and party. He couldn't afford to, not when his circumstances put him at a disadvantage compared to other students, and that didn't necessarily include his disability.

Not that he cared to talk about what he'd been through before moving into the dorms. That wasn't anyone's business but his own and the campus counselor he spoke with once in a while when the weight in his chest grew too heavy to bear alone. Even then, he hesitated to spill everything. He didn't want or need anyone's pity.

Taking the book he'd brought with him from his bag – one on the study of natural ecosystems – Dezel opened it up and lay it on the table in front of him, fingers running over one page to pick up on where he'd last left off. He hadn't been reading long, however, when he picked up on footsteps approaching. The library wasn't entirely empty at that point in the evening, but there were fewer students around than usual. Possible it was not someone on their way to speak with him and yet, as he allowed what peripheral vision he still possessed to clue him in, he was just barely able to recognize the slightly blurry form of Lailah approaching.

_Gods dammit._

“Dezel?” she began with some hesitation as she stopped a few feet away, far too much pity in her tone for his liking. “Are you alright?”

“I'm fine,” he grumbled, refusing to look her way directly regardless of his inability to see well. “I just want to read in peace.”

“I understand. I just thought...” She trailed off, hands clasped in front of her as her own gaze dropped to the book on the table. “Well, I thought perhaps it would be worth apologizing on Zaveid's behalf. Edna's as well. They both mean well, even if that may not seem to be the case.”

Oh for fuck's sake... Dezel slammed the book shut, his voice a growl as he finally looked up at his unwelcome visitor. “If they mean well, they can leave me the hell alone! I didn't come here to mess around and ruin my chances of getting a degree!”

“I'm sure they both understand that. It's just-”

“It's just what, Lailah? They think I'm a stick in the mud? That I need the sympathy? That I can't take care of myself?”

“No, it's not any of that!” She raised one hand briefly as if to reach out to him, then apparently thought better of it. “They, as well as I... We're just trying to be your friends, Dezel. You left everything behind in Marlind and-”

“Shut up!” In an instant Dezel was on his feet, teeth gritted. That he'd just drawn the attention of the few students around him didn't phase him, nor did the attempts they made to shush him for making so much  
noise in a study area. “I don't want to talk about it. Not now. Not here. Not with you!”

“Dezel...” Letting her gaze drop again, Lailah sighed. “My apologies. If you truly want me to leave, then I will.”

“Tch...” He looked away, silent a moment save for an aggravated huff. Then, slowly, he sat back down again. “...I just don't want to talk about home. Or get dragged anywhere against my will.”

A beat passed. Lailah said nothing in return. Then, with some hesitation, she set a hand on the back of an unoccupied chair. “Do you mind if I ask how your day was, then? How things went at the animal shelter?”

In a way, it irritated Dezel that she already knew him well enough to know exactly what he would be interested in speaking about, even if only for a few minutes. Yet part of him couldn't deny the want to talk a little about his experiences in volunteering for Maws and Paws. It was, after all, something he dearly enjoyed and was quite proud to do.

“...no. You can.” He closed the book back up, careful to mark his place as he did so. “Even if you are being kind of nosy.”

While Dezel couldn't see the expression on the Resident Assistant's face, he could somehow still sense that his answer pleased her. Perhaps it was in the way she sat down across from him, just from what movement he could manage to detect. And while he wasn't doing a lot of in-depth talking with most people, in a way it was something of a relief to let his anger go for the moment. Some days, it felt like anger was all that kept him going, but if he was honest with himself, it was also nothing short of exhausting at points.

“So tell me how your afternoon went,” Lailah encouraged gently as she folded her hands together on the tabletop. “I remember you mentioning a little while back that they had you working with a dog that had surgery?”

“Scooter,” Dezel answered quietly. “She needed to have one of her front legs amputated at the shoulder. Her previous owner beat her so badly and damaged the leg so much, it was kinder to remove it.”

Lailah gasped quietly, one hand lifting to cover her mouth a moment. “Oh, the poor dear... How is she doing?”

“Better. Little by little. Her physical recovery is almost complete and we're working on getting her properly socialized. When they first brought her in, they said she was so afraid of most people that all she would do was shake and cry when touched.”

“I imagine they've kept her separate from most of the other dogs, then?”

“Yeah. They've got her in a separate area for other dogs who have similar issues. It's behind closed doors, so it's quieter than the main kennel section,” Dezel explained as he set a hand on Sylph's head, petting her while he talked and encouraging her to lean into him. “I did think that giving her a carefully chosen canine companion to stay with her would be beneficial, though, since she can't have contact all the time from staff and volunteers. So I helped the staff members pick out a dog who's personality and temperament would be complimentary to Scooter's.”

“So she has a friend now. Hopefully, that's helping her learn to be more social.”

Dezel couldn't help but smile a little. “I think it is. When I was at the shelter earlier, I spent time with both Scooter and Traxler. They're getting along well and Traxler's more outgoing personality is encouraging Scooter to come out of her shell. In a few weeks, we may be able to offer Scooter for adoption.”

“That would be wonderful.” The smile was evident in Lailah's tone. “Do you think someone might want to take both dogs in, though? It would be a shame to separate them since they get along so well.”

At that, Dezel's expression fell slightly and he shrugged. “I don't know. Maybe. Sometimes in cases like this, the shelter will offer some sort of incentive to help adopt paired animals out together so they don't have to be separated. Like a reduced adoption fee along with some free care items, like pet food. I think in the long run, though, it's more important that Scooter goes to the right kind of owner. Maybe a couple with no children who can dote on her properly. Or at least one with an older child who will understand Scooter's needs.”

“I'm sure the staff there will make sure Scooter ends up with the right owners. They've already done so well by her so far, especially in allowing you to help with her rehabilitation.” Reaching out with one hand, Lailah tentatively touched one of Dezel's hands where it rested over his textbook. 

Though the unexpected contact made him flinch initially, Dezel did nothing to force Lailah's hand away. She could be nosy at times in his opinion, but he understood that she meant well and in a way that was less aggravating than that of his roommate. 

“I just want to do what I can for those animals who don't have homes,” he mumbled, struggling with how to accept the compliment. “So many of them are so accepting of anyone who will show them even a little kindness. They deserve so much.”

Lailah nodded and took her hand back, not wanting to make her dormmate uncomfortable. “They do. And you are a good person for understanding that and doing something about it.”

Dezel could feel his face flushing pink, heat building in his cheeks. Unfortunately, all he could manage in response was a brief shake of his head.

“You are, Dezel. Trust me.” Lailah beamed at him. “So what else happened today besides you getting to work with Scooter? Anything else good?”

He shrugged, glad for the slight turn in the conversation. Too many more compliments and he'd feel the need to crawl under the table. “Not really. There was a new volunteer there today. Some high school student, seemed like. Caught her out front as I was leaving with Sylph. Can't be totally sure, but I think she had her hand up in one of the soda vending machine chutes.”

“Oh really? Did it eat her money?”

“Sorta. The two machines out front are cranky bastards that need persuading. I told the girl to give the damn thing a kick in the side and that was enough to knock a can out.”

“No idea what her name is, though?”

“Tch, no. Why would I? Younger volunteers come and go there all the time, according to the older volunteers and staff members. She's probably just there for class required community service.”

“She could be another passionate animal appreciator, though, like you! One never knows, and you might meet up with her again by chance.”

A frown tugged at the corners of Dezel's mouth. “Maybe, but I don't see why it should matter all that much.”

“You're friends with some of your fellow volunteers, though, aren't you?” Lailah's expression half mirrored his own, though hers leaned more in the direction of concern and confusion. Not that Dezel could see it, of course, but her tone always gave away so much. “And the staff members? You have been going there since you moved in here at the dorms, after all.”

His frown deepened, stubbornness immediately setting in. “That doesn't mean I'm friends with any of them.”

“Oh, Dezel...”

“Just stop, Lailah. Leave it alone, already. I know what you're getting at and I don't want any of it.”

An awkward silence hung between them for a few seconds before Lailah finally nodded and rose to her feet. “My apologies. I'll leave you to your studying, Dezel. And thank you for talking to me for a short while.”

Dezel said nothing in return, gaze turned in the direction of the Resident Assistant's footfalls as she walked out of the study area to head for the library lobby. At his side, Sylph rested her chin on his thigh, prompting him to set a hand on her head again.

“I know, Sylph. I know.”

The tired sigh that left Dezel was mirrored by his companion, and he felt she understood. It seemed she always did. 

He simply had no desire to be close to other people anymore. Certainly, he used his studies and his hobby of volunteering at the shelter as his best excuses, but his emotional barriers were not held in place by a sense of responsibility to his education or his love of animals. Nor would those barriers be brought down by anyone around him. Dezel didn't think his heart could take it.

* * *

“Hey, guys! Can you hear me okay?”

“Yep! Loud and clear, Rose. Mikleo?”

“I'm here, Sorey.”

The end of the weekend evening voice chat. A time-honored tradition since...well, Rose couldn't remember how long ago they had started holding these end of the weekend online conference calls. Maybe sometime during their fall semester in their junior year? Something like that. And it had been with the excuse of using it to compare notes and quiz each other for tests. 

But of course, it always degenerated into the usual chatter, banter, and teasing. And that was if it didn't start off that way and stay that way for the whole hour or so they were all usually connected. Not that Rose ever minded much, since that was more fun than a group cramming session for an exam.

“Oh, by the way, I invited someone else to join us this time,” Sorey was saying while Mikelo grumbled something about not being able to find his notes on the Ancient Tongue. “Not sure if you know her, Rose, but she's in AP History with Mikleo and me.”

“Her name's Alisha Diphda,” Mikleo added alongside the rustling of notebook paper on his end. “She's the daughter of-”

“Mayor Diphda?” Rose finished, eyes widening. “I mean, yeah, most people know who Alisha is because her father's in politics. I've never really talked to her before, though. I think we were maybe in the same math class our freshman year and maybe had physical education the same period in our sophomore year.”

Rose was still racking her brain, trying to remember if she'd had any other classes with the mayor's daughter when Alisha joined the group call. Sorey greeted her enthusiastically and was rewarded with a cheerful hello in return. Mikleo was more subdued in his greeting, though his tone was still warm. 

“So, hey, Alisha,” Sorey went on  
once there was a break in opening small talk, “Don't suppose you know Rose at all? Mikleo and I are in Civics and Physics with her this semester.”

“Oh yes! I remember we were in the same physical education class a couple of years ago,” Alisha replied with a note of pleasantly surprised recognition in her voice. “Hello, Rose! I always impressed with how quick you were whenever we had track related exercises. You're so fast on your feet!”

“Oh, thanks. I've actually gone out for Track and Field every year so far.” Rose replied, feeling her face flush a bit. Thankfully none of them were utilizing the video chat for this call. “And you're...you were on the Lacrosse team last year, weren't you?”

“I was, yes, and the year before that. And I do plan on going out for it again this coming season, as well. What about you? Are you going to join the Track team again?”

“So far, yeah, I plan on trying out again. Can't leave the team without one of their best pole vaulters and short distance runners, right?”

Mikleo chuckled a little. “Well, sounds like you two are going to get along just fine.”

“We really should all get together for an old fashioned study session at the library sometime soon,” Sorey suggested. “Maybe next weekend? We've all got a physics test a week from tomorrow.”

“Don't forget about choosing books for our literature reports,” Alisha added. “Those are supposed to be due at the end of next month.”

“Ah, right, I almost forgot about those.” Rose sighed and dug out a post-it note to write a reminder on for the cork board by her desk. A couple of reminders added to her phone's calendar couldn't hurt, either. Always so much to keep track of. “So, gonna pick out a sappy romance novel for your project, Sorey?”

“Well, I... M-maybe,” came the embarrassed reply, and Mikleo chuckled again.

“He's such a sucker for a good love story. Personally, I plan on choosing one of the historical fiction novels from the suggested list we were given.”

“I think I might do the same, actually,” Alisha said, a thoughtful note in her voice. “What about you, Rose?”

“Ah, I dunno. I've always been good at writing up reports, but most fiction is kinda boring. Maybe something fantasy related. At least the action would keep things interesting.”

“Oh, I know! You could check out a book on the legend of King Claudin Asgard! I mean, technically reading up on him would be part history research, but the Age of Darkness was so long ago and there's so much myth and legend surrounding Claudin. _Words and Deeds of the Hero King_ is a fascinating read.” Sorey always did get way too excited about anything regarding the Age of Asgard.

“Ah, right. Thanks, Sorey, I'll keep that in mind.” Rose couldn't quite suppress a grimace. He was just trying to help, but she was really hoping for something that was more fiction and a lot less history, even if it was hedged on being classic literature. “But, so, anyway. How's everyone doing with the whole community service thing so far?”

“Pretty good.” Mikleo was the first to answer. “Sorey and I went to the elementary school last week and spoke with a couple of people in the office, who put us in touch with one of the teachers.”

“Yep! So we'll actually be holding our first tutoring session with a couple of fifth graders the day after tomorrow,” Sorey added. “They need some help with their math lessons, so Mikleo and I are going to pair off with them and get them ready for their next quiz.”

“We'll probably be handling tutoring sessions three times a week for one hour a day. It'll be a little tough to work around our history club meetings, but we'll manage,” Mikleo said with what Rose was sure was a self-assured nod.

“I think the two of you will be of great help to those children,” Alisha said. “In fact I kind of wish I'd thought to do that, but I'm happy with what I ended up choosing.”

“Oh yeah, what's that?” Rose asked.

“I volunteered for a crew that handles graffiti and vandalism clean up in the downtown area. It'll be a good chance to help the city in a meaningful way and meet some of the other volunteers who put their time and effort into maintaining the integrity of our downtown structures.”

“Huh, bet your dad was thrilled to hear about your choice,” Rose replied with a smirk, unable to resist teasing just a bit.

“W-well, it wouldn't be about publicity! I'm sure the mayor's daughter helping to maintain the beauty of downtown Ladylake is good local news material, but helping out our good city is something my family's always been passionate about, anyway.” Alisha sounded like she might be blushing. “What about you, Rose? What did you choose to do?”

“I ended up volunteering at the Maws and Paws Animal Shelter. Sorey and Mikleo suggested it since they were just there a couple of weeks ago to adopt a cat for Zenrus.”

“Oh, so you did give that a try? How'd it go? Have you put in any time there, yet?” Mikleo questioned with genuine interest, the sound of papers once again being shuffled in the background as he reorganized his notes.

“Actually, I did! I started that afternoon and spent two hours helping with crate and kennel cleaning. Next time I think they're going to start me on walking some of the dogs. Someone's gotta take those poor pooches outside every day so they can get their exercise.”

“Just make sure someone shows you the ropes, er, leashes for that, literally,” Sorey recommended with a small but amused laugh. “Since I don't think you've ever actually owned a dog, have you?”

“I haven't but we used to have neighbors with a couple of dogs I'd play with once in a while. Plus how hard could walking a dog be?” Rose posed with a shrug, even though none of her friends could see it. “As long as they don't set me up with a horse masquerading as a canine, I should be fine.”

“Either way, points for being braver than me, Rose,” Mikelo admitted, a small, self-deprecating chuckle following his words. “I could never deal with being around so many dogs at once.”

Rose grinned, about to take the opportunity to harass the canine fearing member of their little group when she suddenly remembered something, causing her smile to melt into a frown. “Hey, though, speaking of our community service and me working at the shelter... Do any of you remember a blind student attending our school? Like, one who was probably a year or two ahead of all of us?”

“I...don't think so?” Sorey replied, a small pause following while he mulled the question over further before he spoke again. “Why do you ask?”

“I met another volunteer at the shelter the other day who's visually impaired, but he looked a little older than me,” Rose elaborated. “He had a service dog with him and I don't ever remember anyone at our school with one.”

“Hm, if he did attend our high school, he might not have acquired the dog just yet,” Alisha pointed out. “We have government programs for the disabled that can cover much of the costs in owning a service dog, but they take time to apply for as there's a good deal of paperwork and some wait time.”

“If he's a couple years older than us, he might have moved here after graduating high school elsewhere. That said, he might also be attending LU,” Mikleo said.

“I wonder if Sergei might know who he is,” Alisha mused, an out loud thought that confused Rose until Alisha realized she might not realize who had been mentioned and added: “Oh, my apologies! My boyfriend is currently a freshman at LU. If you know that volunteer's name, I could always ask Sergei is he's familiar with him.”

Rose laughed a bit nervously. “I wouldn't want to trouble your beau at all, Alisha, or sound like I'm being weird and stalkery about all this. Really, I was just curious if this guy had ever gone to our high school. You know, ice breaker information in case we ever end up working in the same area at the shelter at the same time.”

“Still, though...” Mikleo's tone was borderline teasing. Rose groaned inwardly. “You could at least tell us the guy's name. Just in case.”

“Yeah, Rose!” Sorey was quick to join in, probably not even picking up on the fact that his boyfriend was looking for material to prod Rose with later. “Might as well! An actual name would work better than 'mystery shelter volunteer', after all.”

“Gods, you two are terrible,” Rose groaned, rather irritated that the two nerds had managed to get the better of her on this one. She'd probably never hear the end of it, now. Why, oh why had she thought it wise to bring any of this up in open conversation, especially with someone she barely knew present? “Fine. Another one of the volunteers said the guy's name is Dezel.”

“Dezel, huh? Hmm. Can't say the name's familiar, but we'll keep it in mind!” Sorey promised, all too cheerful about the whole situation.

“Are you sure you don't want me to text Sergei, Rose?” Alisha questioned, sounding far more concerned about this than was necessary. “It would only take a moment.”

“Oh no! No, no,” Rose replied far more loudly and swiftly than she meant to, her cheeks turning pinker as a result. “I'm good. Curiosity killed the cat, after all, so how about that study session a week from today, huh? Let's set up a time for that.”

Mikleo stifled a small laugh and Sorey didn't bother to hide a chuckle. Both of them had known Rose long enough to know a quick attempt at a subject change when they heard one. Fortunately, Alisha picked up on none of this.

“How about three in the afternoon? The public library is open until five and afterward we can all go somewhere for dinner! My father will be away for the weekend, so I'd probably be ordering out, anyway.”

Rose breathed a sigh of relief. “Sounds great, Alisha. Guys?”

Agreement followed from both Sorey and Mikleo and the conversation moved on. Rose fell silent for a few minutes after, letting the other three talk while she cooled off after getting so weirdly worked up. Just what was her issue,  
anyway? She was just curious about some guy she met for like two minutes at the animal shelter the other day. It shouldn't have been a big deal.

And yet somehow it was...


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose takes on her second and third afternoons, volunteering at the animal shelter, only to have some frustrating run-ins with Dezel...

The middle of the week rolled around before Rose knew it, her commitment to completing her community service assignment in a timely manner putting her back at Maws and Paws Animal Shelter immediately following the school day. Though while her experience there the week prior hadn't exactly been easy, her second day rivaled it in terms of how much patience and energy it required.

Walking dogs was definitely not something Rose had much experience with. She'd figured it couldn't possibly be that difficult, since how much more was there to the task than getting a leash on a dog's collar or harness and walking them down the street and back. Easy, right?

Wrong.

Rose's first dog for her two-hour shift was a small male that appeared to be some sort of terrier mix. It was apparent from the get-go that he had a lot of energy to burn and the way he jumped up and down in excitement in his kennel area should have been Rose's first warning. The second should have been how quickly he tried to run for the main doors as soon as a leash was hooked to his collar. The rest of the trip out consisted of Rose having her right arm being yanked left and right, up and down as the little dog continually tried to investigate every rock, plant, and person as swiftly as possible. All of three seconds after a weed growing up between the cracks in the sidewalk attracted his attention, a nearby tree would almost immediately commandeer it and cause him to go scooting off in that direction instead. 

The second dog Margaret handed off to Rose upon her return was a shepherd mix that, while less inclined to be distracted by anything and everything, possessed the single-minded commitment of dragging Rose along behind him while he tried to cover as much ground in as short an amount of time as possible. Thank everything he was wearing a harness as opposed to a collar, otherwise he likely would have choked himself into a coughing fit more than once on the trip out and back.

The third dog was an ungodly mix of the first two, just big enough to pull Rose along at her preferred pace while constantly attempting to make a thousand unnecessary stops along the way. Further complicating the situation was the dog's attempt to chase a squirrel that ran down a tree trunk a stone's throw off the side of the old road. Rose could only thank the gods that her body weight was just a little too much for the dog to drag, especially if she dug her heels into the dirt.

By the time Rose returned with her third walking companion, Margaret could only chuckle a little at the expression on their newest volunteer's face.

“You look pretty done for right now,” she said with an amused smile as she reclaimed the dog, who Rose had already taken to referring to as “Tanya the Terrible.” “I'll leave it up to you if you want to try walking a fourth dog, but even if not, you should probably take a load off for a minute. Maybe have a drink of water.”

“I think I'm gonna pass on a fourth,” Rose decided with little thought, wiping a few beads of sweat from her forehead with the back of one hand. “The water, though? That's a definite 'yes'.”

Margaret nodded, ignoring the fact that the dog was attempting to wind the leash around her legs. “Alright, let me take Tanya back to her kennel and when I get back in a few, you can help me get all the cat bedding I washed earlier out of the dryer and back into the cat room.”

As Margaret untangled herself and walked Tanya back to the kennel area, Rose took a paper cup from the dispenser on the side of the nearby water cooler and poured herself some blessed cold liquid refreshment before sitting down on one of the benches in the lobby with an exhausted sigh.

“So did you walk the dogs or did the dogs walk you?”

Rose nearly dropped her cup. In her eagerness to hand Tanya back over and get some water, she'd failed to notice a familiar face in the lobby; Dezel sat on the bench across from her, a cup in hand, as well. In Rose's defense, however, Dezel wasn't the only other person present, as another volunteer was taking inventory of some bagged cat food and litter that had been dropped off earlier and a family of four had also just returned from test walking a dog they were interested in adopting. It was just enough noise and activity to distract from the quiet, dark-haired fellow who sat across the way.

“Does it really matter? The important thing is that they got outside for a little while, right?” That had come out more defensive than Rose intended.

“As long as the dogs and the one walking them aren't getting into trouble, not so much,” Dezel conceded before taking a sip from his cup. “But I was asking out of genuine curiosity. Your answer tells me they walked you.”

“Okay then, smart guy, got any tips for a rookie?” Rose asked, eyes brows arching expectantly as her mouth quirked into something of an indignant frown. “I hear you're pretty good with dogs. You should know a few tips and tricks, right?”

“I do, but there's no point in giving them to you.”

“And why not?”

“It's pointless for right now.”

Her eyes narrowed a fraction. Some small part of Rose wanted to splash what water she had left in her cup all over his shirt. “Why, because you don't think I'm good enough to apply whatever advice you give?”

“Tch, don't be so damn defensive.” He took another drink from his cup and shrugged. “It's pointless because you're not the only one walking the dogs here. Teaching any animal a certain behavior takes both time and repetition. If you were the only one walking Tanya, for instance, and doing it every day, I'd give you all the advice I have to give. But you're not. And whoever walks her the day after you might reinforce behavior contrary to what you're trying to achieve. So, as I said... Pointless.”

Rose groaned and slumped in her seat. “Then what was even the point of asking who walked who?”

“Curiosity. I was just wondering how the dogs are behaving. That's all.”

If there hadn't been so many people about, Rose might have stood up, walked to the nearest open span of wall and knocked her head into out of sheer exasperation. She didn't much want to put on a show for everyone present though, and even if Dezel was completely blind, she didn't want to grant him the satisfaction of hearing her forehead bonk up against the wall. So she settled for pinching her nose and sighing heavily instead.

“You're kind of an ass, you know that?” Rose drank the rest of her water and got up to toss the cup into the recycling bin. “Maybe next time keep your wondering to yourself.”

Dezel's eyebrows arched behind his shaggy bangs, just barely visible beneath the bill of his hat. “You're taking this too personally. I'm not trying to annoy you.”

“Well, then maybe next time don't make a genuine question sound like some kind of a sarcastic joke!”

Before Dezel could respond, Margaret returned and waved for Rose to follow her. Taking the invitation without hesitation, Rose stepped past Dezel, shooting him a glare that he probably couldn't see at all, but it was more for self-satisfaction than anything. There was no attempt to say anything further on his part, and Rose left him behind to finish up her shift for the afternoon.

By the time she left about a half hour later, Dezel was nowhere to be seen. Assuming he'd collected his service dog and went home, Rose left the building and headed home herself, not even bothering to glance toward the bus stop on her way down the road.

* * *

Rose's return to Maws and Paws Animal Shelter at the end of the school week found her cleaning in the main cat room, scooping litter boxes, and washing out food and water bowls. Most of the cats tended to stay out of her way, too busy napping in their cat trees or up inside their open crates or cages. A few skittered about on the floor, though, playing with raggedy toy mice or chasing each other around and getting underfoot here and there.

When she was finished with her cleaning assignment, Rose took a few minutes to pet some of the cats lazing about. Most of them didn't seem to mind, a couple offering up contented purrs in returning and huffing out soft sighs while their eyes slipped closed.

Trouble came along shortly thereafter in the form of a big orange tabby who began rubbing up against Rose's legs while she scratched behind the ears of an all black cat sitting up on one of the counters. It was a typical situation of one thing leading to another, the cat earning Rose's attention, behaving perfectly while she ran one hand over its back, purring and continuing to brush up against her legs with its tail quivering in a pleased fashion. The trouble came when the cat rolled over on the floor, exposing its cream-colored belly and the sight of all that soft fur was too much to resist for one inexperienced shelter volunteer.

No one had ever told Rose that most cats don't appreciate having their tummies touched. And, in that case, the reprimand for violating that rule was swift and painful, the tabby suddenly lashing out with one paw, ears laid back. Its paw managed to connect with Rose's outstretched hand, one claw tearing into her skin and leaving a bloody trail behind. Rose yelped and cursed, recoiling and sending the cat scurrying off to hide somewhere. Meanwhile, her injury was oozing crimson, the inch-long tear on the side of her right palm bleeding a little too freely.

Washing up at the nearby sink didn't seem like a wise idea; that area was for cleaning cat dishes and probably wasn't the most sanitary place to clean a fresh wound, even a relatively small one. So Rose left the cat room, careful to use her left hand to open and shut the door, and went straight to the staff and volunteer kitchen. Hopefully, no one would mind her washing her hand there.

Such was Rose's hurry to clean up that she again missed noticing a certain tall, dark-haired volunteer as she made a B-line for the sink. Dezel didn't say anything right away, either, merely sitting in silence at one of the two small tables in the room with a soda can in hand while he listened to the activity by the sink.

“What happened?”

Rose about jumped out of her skin. Glancing over her shoulder at Dezel, she glared a moment before going back to scrubbing anti-bacterial soap into the cut on her palm. “Nothing. I'm fine.”

“'Nothing' wouldn't explain your hurry to get to the sink.” Dezel cocked his head slightly to one side, though whether it was because he was listening harder or whether it was a canine-like sign of curiosity, Rose couldn't tell.

“Then none of your business,” she retorted without turning again. “Just go back to whatever you were doing.”

Silence followed and Rose assumed that Dezel was doing as told. Whatever that was, she had no idea, but he wasn't talking and that was all that mattered. 

As Rose yanked a couple of paper towels from the dispenser to dry her hands, she realized with some dismay that her injury was long and deep enough that a thorough washing wasn't enough to discourage further bleeding. A bandage of some sort was definitely needed. Maybe Margaret was around somewhere. Or perhaps Ms. Morgrim. Or maybe one of the other volunteers could point her toward a first aid kit. Surely there was a couple about.

“If you want a first aid kit, there's one in the cabinet to the left of the sink.”

Rose blinked in Dezel's direction, eyes wide with surprise as she held a half damp paper towel to her bleeding hand. “I...wait. How did you know...?”

“How could I not know? You came rushing in here and went straight to the sink, then spent a good two minutes over there, washing and rinsing. Either you got hurt somehow or you got something on your clothes. And while my vision is bad enough for me to be considered legally blind, I can still see just enough to know you're doing something with one hand. Holding something to it.”

“One of the cats got me, okay? But not like it's a big deal,” Rose replied, the second part coming out as more of a grudging mutter. There was a pause as she checked the cut, then pressed the red strained bit of towel over it again. “I'll just stick a band-aid on it and go back to work.”

As the bleeding was letting up by that point, Rose tossed the used paper towel into the trash and started pulling open the cabinet doors over the sink. To the left, Dezel said? Ah, there it was! One of those basic emergency medical kits you could buy at a supercenter store, the sort with a translucent plastic case and containing a couple different sizes of band-aids, a roll of gauze, medical tape, medical scissors, ointment, and a few other useful items. Taking it down, Rose popped it open and dug out a band-aid. It only took her a second to realize the cut on her hand was a bit too long for even the largest band-aid in the box, however, so she slipped it back into the box, unopened, and went for the gauze, instead.

“What did you do to the cat?”

The question caught Rose off-guard and before she had time to really consider the question, she found herself getting angry. Just who did this jerk think he was, anyway? “I didn't do anything mean or wrong to any of the cats! Just mind your own business!”

“I didn't say you did.” This time, there was a hint of annoyance in Dezel's tone and when Rose glanced his way, there was a frown on his face to go with it. “But a cat won't usually lash out like that without a reason.”

For half a minute, Rose said nothing back. Rather, she concentrated on rubbing a little ointment over the cut before covering it with some gauze and awkwardly managing to tape it down. Not the best job anyone could do since the injury was on one of her hands, but it would have to do for the moment.

“You're still making it sound like I did something bad,” she grumbled before snapping the medical kit closed.

“If you got scratched for it, then the cat thinks you did, even if your actions weren't actually malicious or harmful. Which one got you, anyway?”

Rose almost didn't answer. The temptation to put the kit back where she found it and retreat from the kitchen area was almost overwhelming. This guy really was a know-it-all jerk who couldn't keep his nose out of other people's business...

“I don't know his name.” Rose couldn't be sure why she bothered to answer. Maybe she hoped the cat in question had a bad rep and that would make her less at fault. “He's a big orange tabby, though. With amber eyes and red collar, a paw print shaped tag and...I don't even know why I'm telling you this since you probably can't even see the cats that well.”

“But I can see them a little and I often have people here describe new arrivals to me so I can have mental visuals to go along with their names.” A pause while he considered the answer he'd been given. “And that sounds like Jack.”

“Yeah? He got a rep for being a bad kitty?”

“Not really,” Dezel responded. He took a drink from his soda can. “Though some of our cats are more mischievous or ill-tempered than others.”

Rose sighed. “Gods, then what was the point of... You know what, nevermind. It's just you being weirdly curious again, isn't it?”

“Maybe.”

“I don't know why I bothered.” Turning about, Rose began to head for the door.

“What were you doing with him? Playing? Petting him?”

Holy Maotelus, this guy was really starting to get on Rose's nerves. Why did any of this even matter? She came to a halt a few feet from the door so she could glower at him. Not that he could see her doing it. “Look, unless you're going to go give the cat a lecture on how not to make friends, I don't see a lot of point in this. And no, I don't care how curious you are!”

Dezel's frown deepened. “The point would be me finding out what you did and giving you advice on why you shouldn't do it again.”

Rose stared at him, incredulous. “Just how stupid do you think I am? Like I wouldn't learn my lesson the first time and leave Jack alone?”

“No, it's...” Trailing off, he shook his head, then sighed. “It has to do with animal behavior. You should know why what you did was a problem from the cat's perspective, especially if it's something cats other than Jack would take issue with.”

“You're serious...?”

“Why wouldn't I be?”

The seconds ticked by as Rose regarded her fellow volunteer with suspicion. She should really just take her leave and go back to work. Hanging around would probably just give Dezel an opening to make her feel like a fool and she wasn't up for that. It was nearly the weekend, after all, and all she really wanted to do was finish up and leave.

“There's soda in the fridge,” he offered suddenly, once again catching Rose off-guard. “I brought a six pack in with me today for the other volunteers. You can have one if you want.”

Once again, she eyed him with suspicion. “Uh huh. What's the catch?”

“Why would there be a catch?”

“Because you're being weird about all this. Are you trying to make up for being a jackass to me both today and the last time I was here?”

Dezel said nothing, though Rose was perceptive enough to notice he looked rather uncomfortable all of the sudden.

“Or are you just trying to get me to stay so you can lord your knowledge of equally asshole-ish felines over me?” she went on, still giving strong consideration to just walking right on out.

He fidgeted briefly with the can in his hands. “...I just wanted to talk to you about cats.”

Gods. Rose found herself rubbing at the side of her neck with her uninjured hand. If petting the cats here got her into awkward situations like this on the regular, she was going to swear off interacting with the little furry buggers for the rest of her time at the shelter.

“Right. Of course.” For reasons Rose didn't entirely understand, though perhaps it was somewhere between mild guilt and curiosity, she caved and walked over to the old refrigerator, which had probably been a donation at one point in time, and opened it up to peer inside. A few sack lunches occupied the shelves, along with a couple of partially empty bottles of water and what looked like part of a leftover sheet cake from a birthday party. On the bottom shelf was what remained of a six-pack box of soda, two cans of generic diet lemon-lime soda still inside it. Taking one out, Rose shut the fridge. “Alright, so talk to me about cats, I guess.”

“Tell me what you were doing with Jack right before he scratched you?” Dezel asked as she walked over and sat down at the table across from him.

Rose popped the tap open, waiting for the soda to finish fizzing up after relieving the pressure on the can before taking a sip. “I was just petting him and it seemed like he was fine with it. Unless cats purring is suddenly a sign of being upset.”

“Cats can and will actually purr when they don't feel well or are in pain. The sound is meant to be of comfort to them as much as it to show that they're pleased in more favorable situations.”

Rose's eyebrows arched. “Huh, really? Talk about mixed signals.”

“Mn. Knowing whether they're happy or in pain can come down to facial expressions and overall body language. Cats are as much a complete package in their behavior as dogs or most other animals, really,” Dezel explained, pausing to take a drink from his own can before continuing. “So where were you petting him? Was is gently and slowly or more briskly and roughly?”

“I guess a little more on the brisk side, but I wouldn't call it rough. He'd been rubbing against my legs and I'd been petting him on the head and back when he got down on the ground and rolled onto his back.”

Dezel frowned. “You touched his exposed stomach, didn't you?”

“Well, yeah. I thought that's what he wanted me to do! That's the way it is with dogs, right?”

“It usually is, yeah. With dogs, that can either be an invitation to pet or a sign of surrender in a fight. Again, it comes down to overall body language combined with vocalizations,  
and the context of the situation matters. As for cats, rarely is an exposed middle an invitation to touch them there. Rather, that is their way of saying they trust you enough not to hurt them since the stomach is a vulnerable area.”

“Okay, but...I didn't hurt him.”

“But you did touch him there.”

“So, what? He thought I was going to hurt him when I did that?” Rose frowned in confusion, trying to understand the logic behind all this.

“Well, he only just met you today, didn't he? A lot of our cats in that room are pretty well socialized and are fine with meeting new people. But cats are still cats, and a new person is still a new person. Plus, even cats who have been with the same owner for years still don't care to have that person rub their tummy. And most owners who have had their cats a while know to recognize a sign of trust and not to violate it. I know it may seem strange, but having a cat offer you that sign of trust at all is something good and important. So it's equally important to be good to them in return.”

For a brief moment, as Dezel spoke, Rose forgot about listening to what he had to say and simply watched him for a few seconds. In the short time since she'd sat down and he had begun talking – really talking – he had become more animated than usual. Or more than she had seen in the two prior instances she spoke with him, anyway. While he kept the hand holding his soda can on the table, fingers curled loosely around it, the other was now gesturing here and there, moving while he spoke as if to accentuate his words. His tone was also less subdued and there was a level of confidence in the way he spoke that didn't simply read as “grumpy bastard.”

Unfortunately, getting lost in thought and observation was enough of a distraction that Rose didn't quite realize when it was that Dezel had stopped talking, her gaze locked on him with a glint of curiosity in her eyes. Not that he could tell, of course.

But he could tell that perhaps he had lost her somewhere along the way just due to her lack of reply.

“Hey...are you listening to me?” He blinked a few times in confusion, despite the fact that he couldn't see. Or couldn't see well, anyway.

“Oh, uh, yeah! Yeah, I am!” Rose could feel her cheeks heating up and she quickly took a long drink of soda, as though the cold liquid might help her literally chill out somewhat. “Sorry, I was just, um...thinking back to what happened in the cat room. But I heard everything you said.”

Well, most of it, anyway. Enough to matter, she figured.

“So did that make sense to you?” Dezel asked, and Rose noted that the warmer tone in his voice had dissipated a bit.

“Yeah. Don't touch an exposed cat's stomach,” she said, careful to respond more promptly this time. “I'll keep that in mind while I'm working in the cat room next time.”

Dezel nodded once and she could definitely see it then, that dimming of what had been an almost enthusiastic glow about him only a minute before.

“Good. The cats will appreciate that,” he said.

“My hands will too,” she reminded him, trying to sound cheerful about it and hoping her optimistic tone would be contagious. It was oddly nice to see him behaving in a less subdued, wooden manner. “So, you know. Thanks. Really.”

“You're welcome.” Dezel regarded his soda can, holding it now in both hands and using one finger to feel over the rim and bent aluminum tab. A beat passed. “You should probably go back before you're missed. You may be volunteering your time, but said time should be used well while you're here.”

While Rose didn't want to admit it, he was probably right. She'd been gone a good ten minutes, maybe longer. Eventually Margaret or one of the other volunteers she'd worked with a bit would wonder where she'd wandered off to. 

And yet...she wasn't sure she was ready to go just yet.

“Well, what about you, though?” she suddenly couldn't help but ask. “Shouldn't you be somewhere, too? Or is this like an official break for you?”

“A break,” he replied before drinking down the last of his soda and setting the can on the table. “Ms. Morgrim should be here any minute to walk me back to the dog kennel area. I'm going to spend a little more time with a couple of our project dogs there before I leave.”

“I could walk you back if you want.” The words were out before Rose could stop herself from offering. Even as she spoke them, she was aware that the idea likely wasn't the best one.

“That area's technically off limits to volunteers who haven't been properly introduced to it. It is where we keep the few dogs we have who've been abused and need special care.”

“So how does someone get properly introduced? You had to go through that, didn't you?”

“I did, and a staff member or more experienced volunteer needs to be there with you the first couple of times at least. Animals that have been abused don't always act in predictable ways, thus making them tougher to deal with. You have to understand what should be normal for them and be able to recognize not only where they're off the beaten path, but how to help direct them back onto that path again.”

Again, Rose noticed a shift in Dezel's tone and posture. It was clear that caring for animals and studying their behavior was not just an interest for him, but a passion. That he managed it while being visually impaired as well was impressive, Rose had to admit. Part of her wanted to question how he got by that way, but even for as blunt and to the point as she could be, she understood it might be rude to ask. Especially since Dezel was just an acquaintance and not someone she knew even remotely well.

“Well, maybe when Ms. Morgrim comes to take you back, I could ask her about that,” Rose suggested, suddenly quite stuck on the idea of getting to see the inside of that more restricted area.

“Ask me about what, dear?”

Rose startled and looked toward the door to see Ms. Morgrim entering the kitchen, her dark, but graying eyebrows arched in inquiry. “Oh, uh... We were just talking about the area where you guys work with shy and abused dogs.”

“She offered to walk me back there,” Dezel added. “I told her it's off limits to anyone who hasn't been cleared to be there.”

“Ah, I see.” Ms. Morgrim shuffled over to the table and gently set a hand on Dezel's shoulder, causing him to turn his head a little in her direction. “That is true enough and we don't really have the time today to introduce any new volunteers to that area, but perhaps at a later time we could get that taken care of if you're truly interested, Rose?”

“Yeah!” the response was out of her before Rose could think on it too much and she flushed mildly in brief embarrassment. “I mean, I'd like to see what you guys do for those dogs. Like, how you work with them. And help out, too.”

Dezel frowned but said nothing. 

Ms. Morgrim, on the other hand, nodded once and then took her hand from Dezel's shoulder so he could get to his feet. “Tell you what then, dear? We'll discuss this a little more after I walk Dezel back.”

“Okay. I'm supposed to be finishing up with a few things in the main cat room, so do you want to meet me there or...?”

“I'll meet you there,” Ms. Morgrim said. 

Rose watched as Dezel stood up and drained the remaining contents of his can before holding one hand out in his direction. “I can throw that into the recycling bin for you if you want.”

His gaze shifted in her direction and Rose noticed for the first time that his eyes were bright green in color despite bearing something of an empty look. Usually, his hat bill and bangs obscured them and perhaps she's never really bothered to notice, but they were actually quite beautiful. Realizing she was starting after a second, she purposely dropped her gaze to his left hand, which still held the empty can.

“I'm not helpless.” His tone hardened. “I can take care of some things just fine on my own.”

And with that, he turned and tossed the empty can at the nearby aluminum recycling bin, making it in on the first try. Rose stared, thinking that if it had been a mini hoop and basket, it would have been nothing but net.

“Oh, right. Sorry,” Rose apologized as Ms. Morgrim began to walk Dezel from the room, his hand on her shoulder so she could guide him through the door. Following after, she watched as they headed down the way toward the entrance to the dog kennel area. Then, before they could get past the door there, Rose suddenly called out, “Hey! Um. My name's Rose, by the way!”

Dezel stopped and glanced back over one shoulder, seeming to regard Rose and her last second introduction with brief consideration. Then, saying nothing in return, gave Ms. Morgrim a signal of some kind – perhaps a squeeze to the shoulder – to let her know that he wanted to continue forward and the two disappeared behind the door. Uncertain of how to take all that, Rose glanced down at the half-finished can of soda still in her left hand and sighed.

What was she doing, anyway? She really did need to finish her drink and go back to work before her time was up for the day.

* * *

Rose was sweeping the cat room floor when Ms. Morgrim found her about ten minutes later. Not that floor needed it, really. It had been cleaned well enough with broom and dustpan before Rose's brush with Jack the orange tabby earlier, but it was something to do. Or something to seem busy with while Rose waited for the aging shelter administrator to come talk to her, anyway.

“Hello again, dear,” Ms. Morgrim said as she entered, careful to shut the door in her wake so that none of the cats ended up in the lobby area. 

“Oh, hey.” Rose stopped sweeping and stood awkwardly amidst a few of the cats who weren't afraid of the broom, her new feline friends sniffing at both the broom bristles and her sneakers. “Sorry about earlier. I mean, if any of that was troublesome for you or Dezel. I wasn't even supposed to be on break right then, I just...”

“Needed  
to clean the cut on your hand,” Ms. Morgrim finished with a small smile as she picked up where Rose had trailed off. “Dezel told me what happened with Jack. He's a good cat, just a little picky about where he's touched at times, as many cats are.”

Rose nodded, but said nothing, instead choosing to let Ms. Morgrim continue speaking.

“So you're interested in seeing what we do for dogs who need to be socialized due to their timid nature, whether from abuse or some other issue?” she asked as she moved further into the room and picked up a black cat that was sitting on an old wooden chair on a cushion so she could take a seat herself, settling the feline in her lap after. “Or is this more about seeing what it is that Dezel does?”

Heat seeped into Rose's cheeks and she glanced away before busying herself with sweeping the already clean floor more. “The first, but I mean... I guess both, really. If I'm being honest.”

“Honesty is always appreciated.”

“Those aren't bad reasons to want to be in that area, though, are they?”

“Not necessarily.” Ms. Morgrim paused a moment, stroking the head of the cat in her lap and earning a deep rumbling of gratitude in return. “But the core of your reasoning should always be to help the animals we take in. I don't know whether you are simply curious as to how a nearly blind young man is able to work with animals or if you fancy him, but neither on their own or together are really enough to go through the trouble of allowing you access to that section of the shelter. Especially since after this, you'll only be volunteering with us for a few more weeks.”

Rose felt a jolt run up her spine, her movement suddenly stilling as her eyes widened in shock. A lucky thing she wasn't facing Ms. Morgrim just then. “'F-fancy him'?! Why would I do that? We only just met last week and I've talked to him all of three times!”

“Well, I wouldn't know, Rose, but I've seen it before. One trailing after another, pretending to be interested in some hobby or cause if only to get a little closer for flirting's sake.”

“That's...that's not it at all!” Rose all by whipped back around, clutching the broom handle in both hands, her face almost as red as her auburn hair. “I have other things to worry about besides relationships, you know! Like earning solid grades and staying in shape to make the track team and getting into a good college!”

Ms. Morgrim regarded her carefully, one eyebrow cocked slightly, no doubt at the sight of Rose's flushed cheeks. After a moment, she sighed quietly and ran a hand over the back of the cat in her lap. “Well, I should hope so. Not that seeking relationships at your age is bad. One should just be careful about the way in which one seeks them.”

Rose huffed out a frustrated sigh and leaned on the broom. How did she go from cleaning out kitty litter boxes for class credit to getting relationship advice from a little old lady running a pet shelter? “Yeah, yeah. I know. I've already had the lesson in not getting into a relationship for shallow reasons before. I just... I'm interested in what you guys do here to help abused animals. Really. And maybe I am curious as to what Dezel does to help. He's just... I don't know. Strange. And not because he has trouble seeing.”

“I doubt he'd want to have you in that area with him if he knew you thought that, Rose.”

Well, that much Rose wouldn't be able to blame Dezel for. “I know, but it's not like...like that.”

“Then what would you say it is like?”

“More like... Strange in that he has this connection and fascination with animals. Not like anyone I've known before. So maybe 'strange' really isn't the best word,” Rose admitted. “And so I suppose I'm curious about him as a person. Plus it seems like he wants someone to talk to about his passion. Though why he doesn't do that more with other people here, I don't know.”

“Oh, he does at times. Once in a while, he'll excitedly tell me or someone else here about a breakthrough he's had with a timid dog or cat. But most of the time he is rather quiet and spends most of his energy focused on his work with the animals. I believe it's because he doesn't wish to be a bother; he knows that many of us are already familiar with the behaviors he likes to discuss.”

“Huh...” Rose frowned in thought, suddenly hit by a revelation. “So he was all interested earlier in talking to me about cats because I was someone he could actually teach something to.”

Ms. Morgrim smiled faintly and nodded. “Likely so. I do recall at one point he mentioned wanting to be a teacher someday. Though while he has the passion for sharing information about what he loves, he's not exactly the most outgoing sort. The kind to actively reach out. Which is a shame, really. He could use more practice doing so.”

Rose hummed in thought but said nothing for a long moment. An idea had suddenly occurred to her, but she found she wasn't quite ready to voice it just yet. She'd need some time to consider it. “Um, Ms. Morgrim. Do you think maybe we could pick this conversation up at another time? Maybe a couple of weeks from now? I know that probably sounds weird, but...there's some stuff about this I need to think about more.”

“Oh?” The older woman's eyebrows rose a fraction. “Well, I suppose so. In the meantime, can I ask you a small favor, dear?”

“Uh, sure. I guess. What is it?”

“If you have any more questions about animal behavior that don't need immediate answers, could you save them for Dezel? And don't tell him that I asked you to do that.”

Rose blinked in confusion for a second. Then the gist of Ms. Morgrim's little plan sank in and she smiled a little and nodded. “Yeah, I think I can do that. Give him someone to teach now and then for practice, right?”

“Yes, exactly, dear.” Her own smile broadening in satisfaction, Ms. Mogrim transferred the cat in her lap to the floor and got back to her feet again. “I think he'd also appreciate the chance to talk about what he loves so much. Though as I said, just don't tell him I asked you to save your questions for him. He'll get upset if he thinks either of us is doing him a favor.”

“Guy's gotta preserve his sense of independence, huh?”

“He does, yes. It's very important to him. Yet, at the same time, that means he also has difficulty accepting help even when he needs it, as sometimes we all do.” Walking back to the door, Ms. Morgrim gently shooed a cat away from it before opening it up to leave. “That said, I'll leave you to finish up in here and you can pick up your signed hour log at my office before you leave. ...unless you feel the floor is already clean enough as is?”

Rose took one look at the knowing smile on Ms. Morgrim's face and had to chuckle just a bit. So that sly old lady had noticed that she was just going through the motions. “Yeah, now that you mention it, I think it's about as clean as it's going to get, save a once over with a floor cleaner and waxer.”

Setting the broom aside, Rose followed Ms. Morgrim out so she could pick up her paperwork and head home afterward. It was as she was leaving that she had the thought to ask Ms. Morgrim if Dezel might appreciate the offer for a ride home but ultimately decided against it. They still didn't know one another all that well and, besides, Dezel might take it as a slight against his ability to look after himself.

Some other time, maybe.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dezel and Zaveid attempt to settle some of their differences while Rose, Sorey, Mikleo and Alisha meet up for a study session, where a freshman living in the same dorm as Dezel shows up...

When Dezel returned to the dorms later that evening, he found an unpleasant surprise waiting for him in his room.

Specifically, an unpleasant surprise by the name of Zaveid.

Dealing with his nosy, overly chatty and all too friendly roommate was generally not something Dezel enjoyed much. Certainly, Zaveid could be pleasant and helpful on the occasion, but only when he chose to be that way. For whatever reason, however, obnoxious behavior tended to win out far too much of the time. Why this was the case, Dezel couldn't be sure. Perhaps Zaveid thought he was being funny or engaging or some other positive but undeserved adjective Dezel couldn't come up with at the moment.

Not when he could sense from the moment he set foot in their shared quarters that Zaveid was up to something. 

Perhaps it was in how the older student greeted him, his usual “hey, roommie” dragged out with an extra, all too interested drawl. Or maybe it was in the way Zaveid walked over to throw an arm around Dezel's shoulders in order to hold him still while he gave him a friendly little close-fisted thump on the chest. Regardless of which warning sign was most telling, however, Dezel was on his guard and with good reason.

“What do you want, Zaveid?” Dezel growled, barely managing to resist the urge to shove his rommate aside. Beside him, Sylph watched with ears erect, concern reflected in her amber eyes.

“Oh, nothing much,” Zaveid replied in an easy tone, still not letting go. “I just thought I'd congratulate you on finally finding someone to chase after!”

Dezel's eyes widened, his stomach suddenly dropping further down into his gut while his heart lodged up in his throat. Finally bringing one hand up, he pushed Zaveid back. “The hell are you talking about!? I'm not after anyone!”

Fortunately for Zaveid, Dezel had not been at a good enough angle to really give him a good, solid push. Not one that could do more than send him back a couple of steps, anyway. A smirk on his face and in his tone, he eyed his roommate with speculation. “Not what I heard! Seems you met a girl at that animal shelter you like spending so much time at, huh? Maybe a fellow volunteer and animal lover?”

 _Lailah._ Dezel ground his teeth. “Who I work with there is none of your business! Now shut up and get out of the way. I'm getting my backpack and going down to the library!”

“Oh no no no! Not this time, buddy!” Zaveid countered,suddenly in the way, one hand held up. “You pull this every time you get worked up. Why don't you ever wanna hang around and just talk about normal stuff? Not that studying is bad. We are in college for Maotelus' sake. But seriously, we've never gonna bond if you keep running out on me!”

“Why the hell would I want to bond with you? You're just some idiot I ended up living with because we're both from Marlind!”

“Whoa, hey! Not cool, man. There are other people I could have picked to room with, but I wanted to room with someone from the same town, too,” Zaveid reminded him, his tone shifting from almost desperate to stern. “Besides, it's not my fault you don't remember me from high school.”

Despite his poor vision, Dezel stared at Zaveid, his throat suddenly tight. “What are you talking about? I never knew you before we ended up rooming together here!”

“Yeah, you did. You just don't remember me.”

“I think I'd remember someone as obnoxious and date crazy as you!”

“Huh, I think this just means that other kid hit you harder than I thought.”

A pounding on one of the walls from the other side interrupted them, followed by a muffled voice. “Would you two knuckleheads keep it down in there? I'm in the middle of a phone call with my brother!”

“Sorry, Edna!” Zavied called back before walking over to shut the door. Shaking his head, he then took a seat in the chair by his desk. “Look, Dezel. Why don't you sit down and we'll talk about this?”

Though his mouth was dry and his throat far too tight, the urge to escape almost overwhelming by that point, Dezel found himself hesitating. What if Zaveid was telling the truth? Though even if he was, what did it matter? Regardless of how Zaveid knew – no, knew _of_ – Dezel before, it didn't make them friends now if they hadn't been friends before.

Still, curiosity won out in the end and Dezel sat down wearily on his own bed in defeat. “Fine. Whatever.” A pause while he drew in a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. “What are you talking about?”

“I think you know what I'm talking about. An incident with a kid named Reynard. Ended up getting expelled from our school because of all the trouble he caused. He stole from teachers and other students. Beat up younger, smaller kids for their money.” Zaveid paused, waiting for recognition to dawn on his roommate. “Made a sport out of tripping you in the hallway because you had so much trouble seeing.”

Dezel tensed up as Zaveid spoke, finally gritting his teeth and casting his blind gaze to the floor near his feet at the mention of continually being tripped by that Reynard asshole. That part he could never forget. The number of times he'd ended up hitting the ground either chest or palms first, the latter if he was lucky enough to catch himself at all. Having his backpack tugged off and his books dumped onto the ground. Dexterous, greedy hands checking his pockets for money. The insults, the nasty laughter...

“The last time Reynard pulled that crap, you got up and tried to take a swing at him,” Zaveid went on when Dezel didn't respond. “You missed and he punched you in the face for your trouble. Made you cut the inside of your mouth on your teeth. But I suppose you don't remember what happened after that.”

Lacking anything to fidget with, Dezel felt over the joints of the fingers on one hand with the other. He was suddenly and somehow even more uncomfortable than before. The last thing he'd expected out of an argument with Zaveid was to have this miserable part of his past brought up, something he'd tried to forget. “I... No. I don't remember.”

“Since you missed, some other kid punched him in the face for you. Broke his damn nose. End result was that Reynard finally got expelled and the other kid got suspended for a week.”

The fidgeting stopped. Dezel glanced up and in his roommate's direction. “Wait... Are you saying that you were that other kid...?”

“I might be.”

“Godsdammit, Zaveid!”

As Dezel got to his feet, ready to storm out of the room all over again over his roommate's irksome behavior, Zaveid lifted both hands in a placating manner out of habit. “Whoa, easy, Dez! I think you know what I mean. I'm just trying to force you to remember, but I guess you really did get hit a little too hard to remember me breaking out of the crowd of students around you and busting that rotten shit's nose. I knew the kid was a jerk and I'd seen him trip you once before. Kicked myself for not doing anything, then. Wasn't going to stand by and not do a single thing the second time.”

For a long moment, Dezel stood there with his arms hanging at his sides, uncertain as to what to do or say next. Finally, he exhaled forcefully through his nose and slouched back down onto his bed once more. “So...what? Are you expecting me to belatedly thank you for that or something?”

It was Zaveid's turn to sigh deeply in frustration. “No, dammit! Man, this is why I didn't bring it up when we first became roommates. I don't expect a 'thank you' or a reward or anything like that. I'm just saying that when I saw you were one of the other students left who still hadn't found a roommate, I volunteered to room with you because I remembered you from high school. And, I dunno... I thought maybe we could bond and be friends.” A cautious pause. “I mean, you didn't seem like you had too many in high school.”

Dezel's eyes narrowed. “...you fucking idiot. Why the hell do you think I was so alone all the time those last few years of my public school career? _I was losing my godsdammed sight!_ The few friends I had before were reluctant to hang out with me because I was relearning how to approach life and I had to work harder to make good grades! I had to sink time into learning Braille and then getting and working with Sylph!”

“Fucking hell, that's not the point, Dezel!”

“Then what is, Zaveid? You being some pompous asshole who thinks you can just swoop into my life and make everything better by just existing within the same general area as me? That's not how friendship fucking works!”

“IF YOU TWO DON'T STOP MAKING SO MUCH NOISE, I'M GOING TO STAB YOU BOTH IN THE THROATS WITH MY UMBRELLA!”

Both Dezel and Zaveid fell silent immediately, their heads turned toward the wall where Edna's muffled voice had all but commanded them to shut up or die by anti-rain gear. Sylph whined quietly and sidled up to Dezel, leaning on his right leg.

“I hate that bossy little pixie,” Dezel growled under his breath.

“She means well,” Zaveid sighed with a shrug. “Anyway, she's not wrong. We're being way too noisy in here. I'm surprised Lailah hasn't shown up for another intervention.”

Dezel made a low sound of disgust and got up to leave, seizing his backpack as he gained his feet. “Whatever, I'm tired of you idiots trying to influence how I lead my life. And I don't care if you punched some stupid high schooler in my stead or not. That doesn't make us friends.”

“No, it doesn't because you're right, okay? That isn't how friendship is supposed to work.” Getting up, himself, Zaveid closed the gap between them and set a hand on his roommate's shoulder, which Dezel immediately attempted to shrug off. “What I'm trying to say is that I give a damn, alright? I'm trying. And it's not that I'm trying to make your life hard.”

“Could've fooled me! Did it ever occur to any of you that I don't want people bothering me all the time? That I want to spend my free time studying and volunteering at the animal shelter? That I don't want a gaggle of friends and/or a significant other?”

“It has, actually, but none of us believe that. And we don't think it's healthy for you to be this way. Alone time is one thing, but you can't cut yourself off from everyone except the animals you work with.”

Dezel opened his mouth to put forth a retort, then stopped and closed it again. While he'd had this discussion with other people before, this was the first time in a while he'd experienced an unpleasant pang in his chest to go with it. On some level, he understood what Zaveid and Lailah were getting at. Even Edna in her own blunt way. But to admit to it would be to open himself up to the possibility of more pain he wasn't ready to endure.

“...I'm going to the library.”

Zaveid caught him by the shoulder a second time. “Dezel, wait. I'll go, alright? You can stay here and read, and have your peace and quiet.”

Eyebrows arching behind his bangs, Dezel listened while Zaveid took his phone off its charger cable, pulled on his shoes, jacket and grabbed up a couple other personal items before heading for the door. Guilt was starting to seep in, choking out the anger and frustration he'd been feeling barely a minute before, but he said nothing of it.

“Have you had any dinner, yet?” Zaveid glanced back from where he stood on the threshold. 

“Shut up and go! I can take care of myself,” Dezel practically spat, irritation quickly raising its ugly head again.

The next sound he heard was the door closing with a soft click as Zaveid departed. Suddenly feeling incredibly exhausted, Dezel sank down onto his bed again. Despite wanting to finish a book on cephalopod behavior that he'd engrossed himself in over the last handful of days, he found he didn't have the energy.

Even as he wondered why everyone had to be so nosy and pushy about how he chose to lead his life, he forced himself to get his shoes, jacket and hat off before seeing to Sylph's harness. Able to undo the straps with ease thanks to plenty of practice over the last couple of years, Dezel set the harness aside in its usual place before turning off the light and laying down in bed. A simple command got Sylph into bed with him, the dog wriggling up alongside him where he could place an arm over her.

Despite his emotional and even physical fatigue, however, Dezel lay awake for nearly a half an hour before finally drifting off, his mind unable to shut off. Memories played back over and over again in his head. That sensation of being tripped, of falling, of hitting the ground. Of cruel laughter, of having his belongings stolen or dumped all over the ground, of having his cane taken from him and used to prod at him. Dezel had been fortunate that not many other students in high school had attempted to take advantage of him after his sight began to fail, but those who had left him with more than enough terrible memories. 

The truth was, however, that it wasn't the onset of blindness that had necessarily cost him his friends. Not on its own. His difficulty in accepting his ordeal had something to do with it. Depression had eaten him up and spit him out more than once. He'd distanced himself from others on purpose while his confidence wavered.

And there was that other event. The one shortly after he'd graduated high school. The one that had left him feeling so utterly dead inside that he struggled with letting anyone except Sylph earn his affection. But Dezel didn't care to dwell on that, not while he was trying to rest with his mind already a whirl with old, painful memories.

* * *

“Dezel? Hey, buddy...”

The hand on his shoulder roused him, Dezel muttering irritably when he recognized Zaveid's voice. “...what? I'm trying to sleep.”

“I can tell, but I'm also willing to bet you still haven't eaten,” came the response. Light flooded what little vision Dezel still possessed, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut for a few seconds. “I brought some grub up from the cafeteria for you.”

“I told you I can take care of myself.”

“Clearly that's not the case right now. C'mon, Dezel. I know you can smell the chicken and rice bowl I brought up here.”

Dezel grumbled, sighed, and pushed himself up right. Sylph took that as the signal to slide down onto the floor, scratching herself behind one ear before laying down out of the way so her handler could get out of bed without tripping over her.

“What time is it, anyway?” Dezel asked wearily as he swung both sock covered feet around to rest them on the floor.

“A little after eleven.” Zaveid set a bottle of iced tea on the bedside table. “I ate late, too, so I figured I'd bring you something.”

“You're such an asshole.”

“And you're a stubborn shit. Now, here. Eat up and then stay up a little before going back to sleep.”

A warm bowl containing some rice, teriyaki chicken and vegetables was thrust into Dezel's hands, a fork already stuck in it. Nearby, Zaveid's desk chair creaked a little as the sophomore settled into it with a half empty bottle of tea in one hand.

“And don't even think about throwing that bowl at me,” Zaveid added, his tone reflecting his words of warning. “You make a mess, I ain't cleaning it up.”

“Don't be stupid,” Dezel growled. “I don't like wasting food. Even if an idiot forced it on me.”

“Aha,” Zaveid responded with a measure of triumph that caused Dezel to shoot him a glare. “So that's how we'll make this work! If I bring you chow, you have to eat it so it doesn't go to waste.”

“Or I'll just give it to another student on this floor,” came the retort. Smart ass reply aside, however, Dezel already digging in, shoveling a forkful of food into his mouth.

“If you haven't eaten recently, I doubt it.” Zaveid uncapped his drink and took a sip. “Hey, has your friend eaten? I know the two of you often eat late, but this is definitely later than usual.”

“Not yet.” Guilt laced Dezel's tone as he paused in feeding himself to give Sylph a few pets. “I'm sorry, girl. You should've woken me up for that.”

Setting his drink down, Zavied hauled himself out of his chair and walked over to where Sylph's bowls lay near the foot of Dezel's bed. “One scoop, right?”

“Yeah.” A pause while Dezel ate a bit more and Zaveid filled Sylph's bowl from the large plastic dog food container up against the wall, the dog leaving her owner so she could go eat, as well. “Surprised you know that.”

“I've watched you do it enough times.” Zaveid gave Sylph's flank an affectionate pat before going back to his chair. “Figured I'd pay attention to stuff like that in case you ever got sick and couldn't get out of bed.”

For a long moment, Dezel said nothing, though the surprised look on his face must have been enough to encourage his roommate to remain quiet, as well. After another couple forkfuls of rice and chicken, Dezel set the bowl aside to have something to drink, his fingers finding the bedside table with practiced ease before locating the base of the iced tea bottle.

“...guess I owe you an apology.”

Zaveid nearly choked on his tea. After a few hoarse coughs, he thumped himself on the chest and took a second to regain his breath. “What was that? Did I hear you right?”

“You did. Don't make a big deal out of it.”

“After the argument we had earlier? Hell, I should be setting off fireworks and throwing a party over here with booze and strippers!”

“You're making me want to retract said apology, Zaveid.”

“Fine, fine! Sheesh, apology accepted if you're giving it, but you're still being a damn grump.”

“Because I'm tired and you're loud,” Dezel said flatly before going back to enjoying his food. “But I...shouldn't have yelled at you. I still think you're a pain in the ass, though.”

“But we're friends, right?” Zaveid asked, hopeful as he leaned forward a little in his chair.

Dezel said nothing.

“If we're not, then you owe me dinner at some point,” Zaveid said.

“Shut up, I'm weighing the pros and cons. Buying you dinner just once is probably less of a pain.”

“'Probably'? Man, that's cold.”

“Make that definitely.”

At that, Zaveid laughed, his mirth taking Dezel completely off-guard. “Okay, whatever. Fine, you don't owe me food. Not like it was all that expensive, anyway.”

“Not your choice,” Dezel shot back. “I'll buy you dinner next week.”

“Gods, you are such an argumentative bastard. Fine. And surprise me. Just at least let me know what night you want to foot the bill.”

“Sure. Whatever.”

Several minutes passed in which both Dezel and Sylph finished their meals, the latter moving to lay beside the bed again near her owner's feet while Dezel sat with his tea in hand, his empty bow up on the side table. His fingers moved around the bottle, feeling over the decorative grooves in the side and the edges of the label. It was a lightly sweetened tea, the kind he tended to favor. Apparently, Zaveid had been paying attention to more than just how much Sylph was supposed to be fed at one time.

“Her name is Rose.”

“What?” Zaveid looked up from his phone and likely one of the many social media feeds he tended to keep track of. 

“The girl I met at the shelter.” Dezel picked at the bottle label. “Her name is Rose.”

“Huh, so you really did meet a girl there recently.” Zaveid set his phone down on his desk, a smile evident in his voice. “So what's she like? How many times have you talked with her?”

“We've talked all of three times, total.” Dezel shrugged. “I don't know that much about her. Just that she's kind of stubborn and is struggling a little with handling the dogs and cats.”

“You give her any advice or what?”

“Some. Where it can be reasonably applied.”

“Does she like you?”

Dezel made a face, his nose wrinkling in annoyance. “I don't think so, and not like I care if she does or not. I told you earlier I'm not interested in being in a relationship.”

“So why mention her now?” Zaveid asked, no sarcasm in his tone.

“I don't know. You asked earlier. I'm just telling you what I know. Maybe so you won't ask again.”

“But you know I'm going to anyway, right?”

“Tch, should've figured. And no amount of food delivery on your part is going to absolve you from being a nosy nutball, Zaveid.”

“Never expected it to. But seriously, c'mon. You don't know anything more about this Rose girl? How old she is? How long she'll be there? Nothing?”

“No, nothing.” The sound of tearing paper interrupted Dezel as he worked the label off the bottle. Messing with it was the only outward sign of his anxiety over the topic, and he hoped his roommate hadn't noticed and made that connection. “She's probably just taking care of her community service requirement for her senior year in high school. Likely she'll be gone in a few weeks and will never come back.”

“She might if you talk to her more, then give her your number.”

“Zaveid...”

“Alright, alright. I get it. No romance for Dezel. But just so you know, anyway? It's not weird for a college freshman to date a high school senior, since a lot of them are eighteen or almost eighteen.” Picking up his phone again, Zaveid went back to scrolling through his feed. “That Sergei guy down the hall is dating some hot high school senior chick right now, and I think he's the same age as you. I hear his girlfriend's a Lacrosse player.”

Dezel sighed and buried his face in his hands, his voice muffled a little when he spoke again. “There is no reason whatsoever to tell me any of this. Just leave it alone, Zaveid. You asked earlier, I told you what I know. The End.”

“Alright. That's fair.”

“Yes, it is.”

The remainder of their time awake that night passed quietly, with few words exchanged. Dezel bedded down again before Zaveid, curling up with Sylph and promising to play a long game of fetch with her in the morning after breakfast since her dinner had been late. Briefly, Dezel did have to wonder if this situation really was meant to be the foregone conclusion of his life. If all his issues and odd needs and tendency to keep others at arm's length meant the only trusted companions he would ever have would be guide dogs.

He had, after all, lied to Zaveid. He wished he knew how to put himself out there, how to love another person deeply again, even if only in the platonic sense. 

He wished he wasn't afraid of so much.

* * *

“Just how many books do you plan on pulling off the shelves, Rose? Someone has to re-shelf all that, you know.”

Rose peered over the top of the fantasy novel she currently had open, meeting Mikleo's disapproving gaze. “Well, how else am I supposed to know if a book's going to catch my interest so I can actually finish it and write a report on it? Reading the first page or two's the best way! Besides, you say that like you and Sorey don't pull down half the history section every time the two of you are here.”

“You're stack is still twice as high as mine,” Mikleo pointed out, hardly daunted by a such an apparently flimsy argument. He set a hand on the pile of half a dozen books between himself and Sorey where they sat on one side of a table on the second floor of the public library. “Anyway, you've already spent an hour digging around. I'd think you'd have found something by now.”

“Well, as long as she finds something by the time we leave, right?” Sorey reminded his boyfriend, elbowing him a little to get him to leave off. “Besides, I'm still trying to decide between three different books, myself.”

Between the four of them, Rose, Sorey, Mikleo and Alisha probably had about thirty different books at their table, about a third of them history books for the AP History papers the latter three needed to write. Sorey was currently marking pages in a book on the Age of Darkness to look back on later, while Mikleo was glancing through another on the history of The Shepherds. Alisha sat quietly with her nose buried in a book on ancient glyphs, a pair of wire frame glasses perched on said nose that she would push up every so often with one finger. 

“We're probably just lucky the librarian up front even let all four of us in here,” Mikleo sighed. “After what happened the last time.”

The much was enough to get Alisha to look up from her research material. “The last time? Did something bad happen?”

“Oh, nothing actually bad!” Sorey assured her with a smile, though it was one that came off as a mite uncertain. “There was just an incident in the children's book section.”

“You mean a creative revolution!” Rose said with an air of mock importance that caused Alisha to glance at her in further confusion. “Honestly, it wasn't even that big a deal. Besides, you can't tell me those kids weren't a whole hell of a lot more interested in books after all that.”

“Look, let's just not test Mr. Breunor this time around,” Mikleo said as he attempted to refocus on the book in his hands. “He's a nice guy. And he's too old to be moving furniture around on his own.”

Rose folded her arms and frowned. “Jeez, you act like I didn't help afterward! Everything went back exactly where it had been before.”

Alisha was glancing between Rose and Mikleo with growing concern, her eyebrows rising behind her blonde bangs. “Er... Rose, what did you do, exactly...?”

“Oh, nothing that awful! I just noticed that a group of kids was having trouble attention span-wise, so I helped them build a furniture fort in the kids reading area.”

“A...A furniture fort?” Alisha repeated in uncertainty. “You mean you overturned the tables and chairs to build it?”

“Sure did!” Rose replied with just a little too much pride. “They've also got a couple couches and some blankets and pillows in that area, so we turned the whole place into one big furniture fort. We called it Fort Bookend! We even had a password system and everything!”

“What she means is that they dragged the biggest dictionary in the library into the fort with them and altered the password every ten minutes so the rest of us couldn't get in,” Mikleo explained with a sigh. “The passwords were also some of the largest words they could find, such as 'floccinaucinihilipilification'.”

“Hey, now! The kids did a really good job of picking tough passwords, plus they were all really good at taking turns looking through the dictionary,” Rose reminded with a proud smile. “So not only did they learn to appreciate books more, but they all learned some new words and a valuable lesson on sharing!”

“How old were all these children?” Alisha asked.

“Not too young,” Sorey replied as he glanced up again. “Maybe like...ages seven to ten? Somewhere around in there. Anyway, no real damage done. I think their parents were a little shocked, though.”

“Shocked at what a great job I'd done babysitting their kids for free and teaching them so many important lessons, all in the span of a couple hours,” Rose corrected.

Alisha laughed, albeit a bit nervously. “You sure are the, ah, enthusiastic sort, Rose. I probably would've just found an engaging book or two to read to them.”

“Kids do all engage with things in different ways, though, something Mikleo and I are finding doing our tutoring for community service,” Sorey said as he marked another page with a small slip of paper. “So, if you think about it, Rose's method was actually kind of brilliant, if a little messy. Those kids probably won't forget whatever they learned that day.”

“Don't encourage her, Sorey,” Mikleo warned, ever the voice of reason. “Learning is fine and good, but this is a library after all.”

Rose stuck her tongue out at him. “Pfft, you're such a stick in the mud.”

“I prefer 'impulse control',” Mikleo reminded, the corners of his mouth upturning slightly in a smirk.

Stick in the mud though he could be, Mikleo did mean well, Rose reminded herself. After all, he had helped Sorey talk Mr. Breunor into letting her back into the library today, despite the old man's uncertainty. 

“Oh, Sergei's here!” Alisha exclaimed as she suddenly got up out of her chair. Only after she stood up did she realize she may have been a little overly loud and put a hand over her mouth, blushing faintly. Still, she smiled as her boyfriend made his way toward the table, a bag slung over one shoulder. “I left my laptop at the dorms last night and asked him if he could bring it by.”

Rose watched as Sergei approached, taking in his tall form and the way he waved almost shyly in greeting. He was a well built fellow with short brown hair that was spiked up front and kind, pale green eyes. His goatee was neatly trimmed beneath his friendly smile, and he was dressed casually in a blue LU football shirt, black jacket, boot cut denim jeans and black work style boots. He seemed a good match for Alisha, Rose decided, as she stood up to hug Sergei in greeting in her light pink cardigan, low cut white shirt and jeans. They made for a cute couple.

“My apologies for being late,” were the first words out of Sergei's mouth as he passed the laptop bag over to his girlfriend. “I meant to get here about twenty minutes sooner, but the traffic was worse than I imagined it would be.”

“Oh, you're fine, Sergei! I'm just grateful you were able to make it at all and bring my laptop over,” Alisha told him with a smile as she set the bag down on the table alongside her pile of books. “Most of my history notes are on its hard drive and I foolishly forgot to back them up to my desktop the other night.”

“You've a lot to keep track of with all your advanced classes, and I was happy to bring it by,” Sergei assured her, not about to let his significant other beat herself up for one or two mistakes. He then glanced over the table with a smile. “Sorey, Mikleo. Good to see you two again. And you must be Rose...?”

“The one and only!” Rose replied with a grin, offering a little loose little two fingered salute.  
“A pleasure to meet you.” 

Sergei held out his hand and Rose took it for a firm shake, admittedly impressed by the man's grip. 

“I take it you've known Sorey and Mikleo a while?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah. We all met our freshman year and had like three classes together. They filled the nerd shaped hole in my life I didn't know I had,” Rose said, grin widening as she nudged Sorey under the table with one foot. “They're also good teasing targets.”

“Hey!” Sorey exclaimed, his cheeks taking on an embarrassed blush. “Rose!”

“It's funny because he doesn't know what to do about it.” Rose wriggled her eyebrows at Sergei, who blinked in mild confusion before simply chuckling a bit. “But anyway! You gonna hang out with us high school seniors a bit, Sergei? Or do you have to go right back to the college campus?”

“Oh, I invited Sergei to join us for dinner to tonight,” Alisha cut in, one hand coming to rest on her boyfriend's near arm. “I do hope that's alright.”

“Hey, the more the merrier, right?” Rose asked before glancing at her two longtime friends.

“Sure! We'd be glad to have you along, Sergei,” Sorey agreed with a nod and a smile.

“I gotta know now, though,” Rose said as she glanced back to the couple standing alongside the table, “How did you two meet, anyway?”

“Oh, we met last year in the fall,” Alisha replied, her hand sliding down to take Sergei's in her own. “Sergei was an exchange student from Pendrago in Rolance, and my family agreed to take him in for the first semester so he'd have proper accommodations. Our home is fairly large, so it was no problem at all to provide him with a place to stay.”

“And I was very grateful to the Diphda family for their generosity,” Sergei added, glancing at Alisha with a fond smile before continuing. “It was difficult to return to my home country at the end of my stay here, as Alisha and I had grown quite close during that time, but we kept up through calls and emails. Then, in the spring, I accepted an offer from LU to join their football team; my time playing for my school team in Pendrago and being part of Lefay High's varsity team my senior year was enough to provide a scholarship.”

“Bet it didn't hurt that you'd get to be living in the same city as your sweetheart, either,” Rose teased, causing both Sergei and Alisha to blush. “That's a cute story, though, and I'm glad it worked out for you both!”

“As are we, obviously,” Alisha said, her blush only intensifying. “It has been a real joy to know Sergei and learn from him, as well as share with him in terms of our history and politics here in Ladylake. He's also promised to take me with him on his next visit home to meet with his parents.”

“Ah, yes.” Clearly pleased, but also a little embarrassed, Sergei nodded. “I also intend to take Alisha to visit some of our historical sites. I suspect the old shrine church would interest her greatly.”

“Speaking of meeting people,” Mikleo said from behind the book he was still perusing, his purple eyes focusing on Rose as he looked up, “did you ever find out anything else about that guy you met at Maws and Paws, Rose?”

And there it was... The payback Rose suspected had been due her for some time now. Mikleo wasn't typically the grudge holding sort, but he was a sassy little bastard when he wanted to be and he certainly owed Rose a number of times over for all her teasing in the past. Rose flushed pink and held up both hands in a placating fashion, hoping to dispel the subject before any in-depth discussion could be managed.

“Oh, no! Not really! Not that it matters,” Rose said quickly. “It's nothing to bother with.”

“Are you sure, Rose?” Alisha asked. “Since Sergei is right here, you could ask him if you wanted.”

“Oh?” Sergei's eyebrows arched in curiosity. “Ask me about what?”

“Rose met some guy while volunteering at a local animal shelter,” Mikleo explained before Rose could stop him. “She asked us if we'd ever seen him around our high school, but no one had, so then we started wondering if maybe he was a college student.”

“His name's Dezel, apparently.” And now Sorey was in on it, too, godsdammit. Though he at least managed to maintain an innocent expression whereas his boyfriend appeared all too pleased with himself over the turn in topic. “Obviously LU is a big campus and not everyone is going to know everyone else, but I don't suppose you've met anyone by that name, Sergei?”

Sergei nodded. “Actually, yes, I have.”

Suddenly the college freshman in their midst had nearly all of Rose's attention. She glanced up at Sergei, waiting for him to continue. Her expression must have said it all, since he went on after only missing a beat or two.

“He lives in the same residence hall I do, on the same floor. I cannot say that I know him well, personally, but I do see him coming and going frequently with his guide dog. I believe he rooms with a sophomore by the name of Zaveid.” Another pause, this one more thoughtful. “Did you wish for me to let Dezel know you are looking for him, Rose?”

Rose wasn't sure she could end up more red in the face than she already was by that point, but even if so, it seemed as though her cheeks were certainly making the effort. Immediately, she attempted to literally wave the suggestion off, flapping a hand in Sergei's direction while she forced a smile. “Oh no! Don't worry about it! I was just curious where the guy had come from, that's all. He's not really the talkative sort.”

Mercifully and thankfully, Sorey suddenly cut the current conversation short. “Uh, hey guys? We might want to keep it down. Mr. Breunor is watching us from his desk and he doesn't look too happy about all the noise we're making.”

“Maybe we should go ahead and go to dinner,” Alisha suggested after a glance back in the librarian's direction. “We could always continue talking over a nice meal.”

“A fine suggestion, if you all are ready to go,” Sergei agreed. “I spoke briefly with Mr. Breunor on the way in and he seems a nice man. It would not do to upset him, though I cannot imagine he possesses the same temper as the librarian at the Pendrago main public library.”

“Oh? What were they like?” Mikleo asked, already setting his book down and standing up alongside Sorey so they could pack up to depart.

“Ms. Forton is quite stern, to the point of unforgiving. The joke at our school was that her glare could turn a person to stone,” Sergei replied. “She means well, I assume, but many a student have crossed her wrong in the past, my older brother Boris among them.”

“Yeah? So what happened to your brother?” Rose inquired as she shuffled through the books in front of her, finally selected one for her report on a whim out of her top three, and shouldered her backpack. 

“Gum removal duty,” Sergei said with an air of such seriousness that Rose nearly laughed. “I realize that does not seem much, but you would be surprised at how much old chewing gum ends up stuck to the bottom of library tables and chairs. Having to spend hours removing it all with not but a paint scraper is, as Boris put it, 'mind-numbingly dull work'.”

“Really makes you appreciate Mr. Breunor a whole lot more,” Sorey chuckled. “Especially with how easily he let Rose off after the fort incident...”

Sergei blinked. “The...'fort incident'?”

Rose sighed heavily as the group left the table and made their way out, Sorey and Mikleo at least waiting until they reached the lobby to start explaining Fort Bookend to Sergei. But if that was what it took to leave the subject of a certain tall, dark haired animal shelter volunteer behind, maybe it was for the best.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose finds her way onto the university campus and into one of the residence halls with the help of some friends, hoping to see Dezel there. Things don't go entirely as planned...

The school week following the library study meeting passed with excruciating slowness for Rose. She and her friends had gone to dinner together after their only somewhat successful session, choosing a favored fast food place not far from the high school for relatively cheap but good eats. The crew took over a large table with a circular booth in the back of the dining area after ordering their food, chattering away both before and after the arrival of several burgers, orders of fries and a couple of salads at the pick-up counter.

There had been no mention of Dezel during dinner. It had all been talk of homework, upcoming projects, upcoming movie releases everyone wanted to see, the latest episodes of the streaming shows most of them were watching, all while they checked their social media feeds on and off, and shared ridiculous memes and cat videos. 

About an hour and a half later, the group had finally cleared out, Sergei driving back to the LU campus in his red SUV. Sorey and Mikleo left with Alisha, who offered to give them a ride home since it was on the way to her house...but not before she let both boys pile into the back seat, the two of them still arguing about the historical accuracy of a show they were all watching, while she turned to Rose for a quick word.

“Rose, ah... Before we call it a night, I wanted to ask you something.”

“Sure. What's up?”

“I don't always get to visit with Sergei on campus every weekend, but we've both got plans for the next two weekends in a row after this upcoming one, so I'm going by again in a week to see him for a couple of hours.”

“Okay... So what's that got to do with me?”

Alisha had hesitated, her face flushed slightly out of what Rose assumed was a case of nerves. “Well, I thought to ask if you might like to come along, especially since I'll be checking in as a visitor at the residence hall were Sergei is living right now.”

Rose had stared at her a moment, her heart suddenly beating a mite quicker. “Well, it's not like I've never seen the LU campus...”

“I thought that must be the case, but even if not, that isn't the reason I'm offering.”

“I...don't think I follow...”

“It could be your chance to...run into Dezel, I suppose.”

For a second, Rose said nothing. She merely stared at Alisha, having wondered if maybe that's what the other girl was getting at, but startled that someone of her honest nature had that kind of deviousness in her. Then she felt her heart trying to crawl up into her throat and swallowed that thought to force it back down. “I'm not sure that's a good idea, Alisha. Hell, I'm shocked you even had it as an idea in the first place!”

Alisha's cheeks turned an even deeper shade of pink and when she spoke again, her voice cracked briefly in a show of nerves. “I...I admit it does sound rather sneaky and suspect! But it has been impossible to miss how focused you become whenever the subject shifts to that of Dezel. And I don't think there's much harm in you accompanying me, especially since you know Sergei now and since you have applied to LU, as you said over dinner. Should you run into Dezel while accompanying me, it could be just a coincidence, couldn't it?”

“I'm not saying it couldn't, but it could still be seriously awkward! I don't even think he likes me that much.”

“What makes you say that, Rose?”

“I don't know... The few times I've talked to him, he's either been kind of irritated with me or I've definitely been irritated with him. I mean, granted, a lot of it came out of misunderstandings, so...”

“But there really have not been any positive conversations between the two of you?”

Rose had sighed and rubbed at the side of her neck with one hand. “Well. There was one instance where, after I got upset with him because I misunderstood what he was getting at, he said he just wanted to talk to me about cats. I think... I think maybe he gets lonely sometimes. Like it seems like he tends to keep to himself, but I don't know if there's a reason for it or what.”

At that, Alisha managed a gentle smile through all the awkwardness brought on by her own suggestion. “So you're worried about him, then? That's sweet.”

“I dunno. Maybe. But like I said, it's not like we've talked a whole lot. I barely know him.”

“Well, my offer stands. If you decide you would like to accompany me, text me when the school week is over and I'll pick you up before heading for the college campus.”

“Uh, yeah. Sure. I'll think it over and let you know.”

After they had all parted ways that night, Rose was stuck with a decision to make about the upcoming weekend. One that left her somewhat anxious, something she wasn't particularly used to feeling. The choice weighed on her mind, creating a constant back and forth that left her distracted when she wasn't mentally occupied with engaging tasks.

Going to the Maws and Paws for her volunteer work on mid-week only served to make her anxiety worse, though the fact that she and Dezel barely saw one another that day seemed to help. At least until Rose departed for the day, however, and regret flooded in. She'd seen him twice during her two-hour shift and not attempted to talk to him at all.

By the time the end of the week rolled around, Rose was in a sour mood. Sure, the weekend was nearly upon her, but she'd come a little too close to bombing a math pop quiz earlier in the day and she still had not made a final decision on what she wanted to do regarding Alisha's invitation.

Given the choice between walking dogs and cleaning out kennels that day, Rose opted for the latter. It was a dirtier job, certainly, but less likely to try her patience. For two hours she worked, trying to keep her focus on the task at hand as she swept and hosed down the concrete floors as needed, collected bedding for washing, and cleaned out food and water bowls. By the time her two hours were up, she was sweaty and in need of a hot shower, though at least she'd remembered to change into an old tee-shirt and pair of jeans before starting work.

As Rose headed up front to collect her belongings from Ms. Morgrim's office, she passed by the grooming room where the staff worked on animals requiring clean up. Seeing that the door was cracked open a few inches and hearing a familiar voice from within, Rose paused outside and attempted to peer into the room. 

Sure enough, Dezel was inside, kneeling by the equivalent of a canine shower stall while his guide dog stood on a rubber mat, allowing her owner to towel her off. He spoke to her in a quiet voice, praising her for being so well behaved during her clean up, hands working a blue towel over her the fur on her sides and back, ruffling it up to sap all the moisture out.

There were butterflies in Rose's stomach as she watched and listened, a small part of her advising the rest of her to mind her own business and go on her way. She had wanted to go home and take a shower of her own, right? Yet Alisha's invitation to visit the LU campus on the weekend echoed in her mind, and Rose knew that if she showed up there and Dezel was about, things could be a lot more awkward if they hadn't interacted recently. Especially if not in a positive way.

Lifting a hand, Rose knocked on the door a couple of times before pushing it further open. “Uh. Hey, Dezel.”

The motion of Dezel's towel covered hands over his dog's flanks ceased momentarily, his head turning toward the door with raised eyebrows before he frowned a little. “Hey. Something you need?”

“No, not really.” Rose nearly lost her nerve at that point, fully ready to back out and shut the door with a hasty apology for intruding. She managed to stand her ground, however, even opening the door a bit more and setting a foot inside. “I just finished up my two hours and was on my way out when I noticed someone was in here. Did you need any help at all...?”

“No.” Dezel returned to the task at hand, working the towel down around the dog's left front leg. “I've handled her grooming myself almost the entire time I've had her.”

“Oh. Right.” Rose regarded owner and dog a moment before deciding to approach the situation in a slightly different way. “Well, do you want any help, then? I'm sure the drying process will go quicker if two people are working on it. You could even tell me a little about your friend there while we work. I'd kinda like to know more about her.”

Again Dezel paused in his work, blind gaze turning in Rose's direction. Though his expression was difficult to read, it was clear he was giving the question some actual consideration. Finally, after saying nothing for a few seconds, he stood up and took his dog's leash in hand. “Alright. As long as you're actually interested.”

“Sure. Why wouldn't I be? She's a pretty cool looking dog, after all,” Rose replied as she entered the room fully and let the door shut behind her. “Just let me know what you want me to do.”

“There are a couple of hair dryers in the cabinets along this side of the wall,” Dezel said, pointing in the right direction with his free hand before slowly and carefully urging the dog toward the nearby grooming table and up the steps to the table top. “Get those out and plug them in, then get the brush out of my backpack. It's on that other table. I'll secure Sylph.”

Rose did as she was asked, fetching the hair dryers first and plugging each one into separate outlets on either side of the table. She then approached Dezel's bag with some minor apprehension and unzipped the various pockets until she located the brush. Behind her, Dezel hooked Sylph's collar to the leash attached to the table and pulled the overhead strap loosely around her middle, buckling it into place.

“Sylph's a pretty name,” Rose commented as she walked back over with the brush in hand. “Did you give it to her or was it the name she came with?”

Picking up the dryer on his side of the table, Dezel turned it on medium and began to work on drying the thick fur along Sylph's side and flank, careful to keep the device moving so as not to burn her skin. The fingers of his other hand brushed her thick fur back, aiding in the drying process. “She came with it. Service and guide dogs begin their training before being matched with a client. Though now that you know it, I'll ask that you use it sparingly while she's working. I don't want her distracted.”

“That makes sense.” Rose took up the other hair dryer and began working on Sylph's other side, following Dezel's example on how best to handle the job. Sylph, for her part, appeared pleased to be receiving some warmth and attention after her bath, panting in a relaxed way while doing a good job of remaining calm and still. “So what kind of dog is she?”

“A black Hyland Shepherd.”

“Really? Huh, I didn't even know they came in that color.”

“They're not quite as common as the black and tan shepherds most are familiar with,” Dezel said as he felt around for the brush, then used it to fluff up the fur on Sylph's haunch and run the dryer over it. “Aside from their coloration and straighter backs, they're mostly the same, however.”

Rose waited for Dezel to finish with the brush, then claimed it for her own use, still mimicking what her impromptu dog grooming instructor was doing so that she wouldn't muck anything up on accident. “Well, I think she's a good match for you. I mean, in terms of how you two look together. You with your black hair and hat and jacket.”

“How we look together doesn't really matter.”

“Well, obviously. What matters is that you two work well together, right? I just think it's cool that you two sort of match up. Like owner, like dog!”

“Yeah... I guess.”

They worked in silence for a few minutes, drying Sylph from behind her ears all the way down to her paws and the tip of her tail. As Rose made one last pass over the thick fluff around Sylph's neck, hair dryer setting shifted to low, she reached down for the brush again, only to feel something touch the tops of her fingers. A quick glance down revealed it was Dezel's fingertips. He'd moved to pick up the brush only a second after she had reached for it.

Rose immediately looked up, able to see Dezel's face over the top of Sylph's back. His own gaze was still cast down, his eyebrows up and his green eyes wide in surprise. Then he was jerking his hand back, cheeks flushing a noticeable shade of red despite his somewhat darker complexion.

“Sorry,” he said quickly. “You can use it first.”

“Are you sure?” Rose watched him carefully. She hadn't meant to startle him at all.

“It's fine. Go ahead.”

While it was with some hesitation that Rose claimed the brush again, she couldn't help but leave half her focus on Dezel as she finished her part of Sylph's grooming. He was still visibly flustered, cheeks holding a definite blush to them as he busied himself with what little blow drying was still needed on Sylph's other side. The sight and sound of Dezel losing his stoic, stand-offish edge was somehow oddly...cute. Not quite in the same way as when he showed some actual enthusiasm during a conversation, but still rather endearing.

“Here you go,” Rose said when she was through, placing the brush on the table and sliding it over so that Dezel could hear what she was doing. “All done on this side.”

A grunt of acknowledgment was the only immediate response, barely audible over the sound of the still running hair dryers, even at their lowest setting. Picking the brush up, Dezel finished up on Sylph's other side as well, needing only another minute or so to get her fur in order before he cleaned the brush, itself, pulling out tufts of black fluff and disposing of them in the nearby waste bin. “Sylph seems fairly satisfied. I guess you did alright on your end.”

“She's got her dog smile on, so I'd say so!” Rose said proudly as she unplugged the dryer she'd been using. “Is it okay if I pet her right now?”

Dezel slid his hand along his hair dryer's cord to locate the plug with ease and pulled it before turning back in Rose's direction, an expression of mild surprise on his face. “Er, yeah. That's fine.” A beat passed, then: “Thanks for asking first. I'm...a little surprised you know to do that.”

“Hey, no problem. I've never spent this much time around a service dog before, but I've heard it's rude and troublesome to pet someone's furry helper without permission. And that thing you said before about not distracting her while she's working reminded me of that.”

After coiling up the dryer cord in a semi-neat fashion, Rose set it aside and turned her attention to Sylph, hands affectionately ruffling the dog's fur around her neck and up behind her ears. Sylph panted happily, tail swishing behind her. As Dezel removed the strap around her middle and unhooked the leash from her collar, she swung her head in Rose's direction to sniff carefully at her, investigating her forearms and licking the hand Rose held out to her.

“She has such beautiful eyes,” Rose said quietly as she smoothed Sylph's fur back around her cheeks and jowls, unable to miss the way the dog's amber eyes reflected a level of intelligence and calm. “And beautiful fur, too, especially now that it's clean. Do you like smelling like vanilla and almonds, girl?”

Dezel chuckled softly as he wound up the other dryer cord, the sound nearly startling Rose. “If she weren't so well trained, it's likely she'd go find a patch of dirt to roll in after this.”

“Typical dog reaction to getting a bath, huh?”

“Mn. Not with all dogs, but I've known many who were and are that way.”

“So is this where you usually give Sylph her baths?” Rose asked as Dezel hooked a finger under his dog's collar and gently urged her down the steps to the floor once more. “I didn't know they let volunteers bathe their own pets here.”

“They typically don't. Ms. Morgrim is allowing me to use the grooming area because I spend a good deal of time here, helping with their problem animals. And because it's...convenient for me,” Dezel replied, sounding as though he was choosing his words carefully. Perhaps because he didn't want to reveal too much about his personal life or discuss whatever limitations his legally blind status placed on him.

Either way, Rose wasn't going to press for specific details. They were finally having a nice conversation, after all! It'd be a shame to ruin that, especially since she was starting to feel rather fond of both Dezel and Sylph in a way she could comfortably grasp and admit to herself. 

Rose watched with interest as Dezel refitted Sylph with her harness, hands moving in a practiced manner while the dog remained impressively still and patient during the entire process. As Dezel finished up, Rose put the hair dryers back where she'd found them earlier, then set about picking up the damp towels and tossing them into the laundry basket so they could be cleaned later.

“So, hey.” Dezel busied himself with putting away the dog brush and packing up the bottle of oatmeal shampoo he'd apparently brought in with him as he spoke. “Thanks for the help. Didn't need it, but it did speed things up.”

“No problem! It was actually kinda fun.” Noticing that Dezel's jacket was hanging on a hook near the door, Rose retrieved it and walked it over to him, holding it out. “Here's your jacket, by the way.”

Dezel glanced down, though his eyes didn't perfectly track to where she held the garment out to him. Still, he managed to gauge where it was being held and take hold of it in one hand, pulling it off after managing to locate where the right sleeve was first and getting an arm into it. Again, the only thanks was a grunt of acknowledgment. Rose had to think he probably wasn't too comfortable with accepting a lot of aid and she would need to be cautious about when and how she offered it in the future. Still...

“Hey, Dezel? Would you...like a ride home? Wherever home is for you? I've seen you at the bus stop out on the street a couple times before, but if you'd like a quicker way home today, I don't mind driving you and Sylph. Even if it's kinda out of my way, it's not that big a deal.” It all came out a little more awkwardly than Rose would've liked and, for some reason, it felt like her heart was beating faster than usual. Which was odd, since this wasn't any different from offering a ride home to one of her friends.

But perhaps it was because even before Rose finished asking, Dezel had stopped moving, one hand on the strap of his backpack. A few seconds passed as silence fell between them. Dezel did not look her way. Then he was standing up, slinging his bag over one shoulder.

“No. I don't need it.”

“Well, I know you don't, just like you didn't need my help drying your dog off. But...do you _want_ it? I promise it's not that big of a deal.”

“I don't want it, either.” Taking hold of Sylph's harness, he urged her into motion with a single verbal command and they headed for the door. Rose couldn't help but notice that Dezel's tone had changed again, becoming flat. More distant. “Now, I need to go. I'll miss the next bus out if I don't get on my way.”

“Oh. Alright.” Rose followed him to the door, disappointment weighing on her shoulders. “Sorry. I wasn't trying to insult you or anything like that.”

“You didn't. I'm fine.”

And without so much as a “goodbye” of any sort, Dezel and Sylph headed back up front to the lobby area to leave. Rose stood in the doorway a moment longer, knowing that it was foolish for her to be upset by the mere rejection of a friendly offer, and yet it was somehow difficult not to feel that way. Honestly, it was ridiculous the longer she considered it. She really didn't know Dezel that well, after all. And she told herself it was stupid to be fascinated with him due to how he was obviously different from other people. But maybe it wasn't really about that?

Shaking her head, Rose sighed and tried to shrug it all off. She needed to get home, herself.

* * *

The first half of the weekend passed without much that was out of ordinary. Rose did her chores, ran a couple of errands, went through her usual exercise routine and helped her father with some of his office paperwork before going out with Mikleo and Sorey to see a movie. Throughout most of the day, her mind had been elsewhere, however, still lingering on the idea of visiting the university campus the following day.

This was going to be a rather last minute decision, clearly. Hopefully, Alisha wouldn't mind too much.

When Rose woke up the next morning, she lay in bed for a full twenty minutes, stalling, staring at her phone's contact list. Finally, after forcing herself to make a choice, she texted Alisha to say she was all in for the campus and residence hall visit.

Yet, as Rose stood in the driveway outside her house, shifting her weight nervously from foot to foot as she waited near the closed garage door for her ride to arrive, she still had to wonder how she had more or less been talked into this potentially bad idea.

She'd finished her chores and remaining homework early in the day, determined to make sure she had nothing left to hold her back once late afternoon rolled around. At two minutes after three o'clock, a text had come through from Alisha: _“I'm on my way! I'll be there in 10 minutes.”_

Rose had to smirk as she glanced over the texts with Alisha under her contact conversation. Huh, even her text messages were proper. Seemed pretty on brand, really.

Though while the momentary distraction had been a welcome one, enough to make Rose forget about her rattled nerves for a minute, it wasn't one that lasted and before long she was back to overthinking the entire situation. It was unusual for her, doing this much fretting over anything. She supposed, however, that this was just more evidence for how Dezel had managed to affect her in the short time she had known him. 

Maybe it was just concern for his emotional and mental well being, especially since he was disabled. Or maybe there was some degree of real curiosity about how he worked with animals, as she discussed the Friday prior with Ms. Morgrim. Or maybe it was simply all the mystery surrounding him despite the recent bits of information Rose had obtained. If she was honest with herself, it was a lot of nosy bullshit on her part, but it was a little late to start reprimanding herself now.

The arrival of a white sedan commandeered Rose's attention and she slipped her phone into one jacket pocket, waving with her other hand as the car pulled up into the driveway. She was dressed casually and comfortably today, prepared for the slight fall chill in the air with a black and pink zip-up hoodie over a white v-neck shirt and dark denim jeans with black sneakers and magenta laces. Alisha looked to be dressed similarly as Rose slid into the passenger side front seat, her tan sweater sleeves pushed halfway up her lower arms and her black jeans paired with a set of earthen brown heeled boots. Her small white purse and laptop bag were in the back seat.

“Ready to go, Rose?” Alisha asked with a smile as she put the car in reverse.

“Yeah, ready as I'll ever be.”

Alisha backed the car into the street and pulled out, driving down the residential road out toward the traffic light regulated intersection to reach the main street. As they joined the flow of traffic, Alisha adjusted the volume on her car's sound system, reducing the classical music to more of a background noise and an afterthought.

“You know, I'm still really surprised that you of all people suggested this,” Rose commented as she leaned her right elbow against the passenger side door, “Given you seem like the real honest, straight-laced type, I mean.”

“I like to think I am that way. It just seemed to me that not inviting you along would be a wasted chance, especially since toward the end of the weekend most students are typically in their dorm rooms, prepping for Monday morning classes.”

Rose smirked faintly. “You mean it's what the responsible ones are doing, anyway.”

“Well, yes.”

“Guess it's likely Dezel will be in his dorm, then. He seems like he'd be the studious sort.”

They rode in silence for a couple of minutes, Alisha navigating the Sunday afternoon traffic while humming along with the music playing softly over the speakers now and then. Rose mused that if they ever went on a lengthy road trip together, they would probably end up at odds over music choices. She was more of a rock sort, enjoying anything that had a good deal of upbeat energy, whether more bubbly and pop-oriented or with a somewhat harder edge. Something she could dance or workout to, preferably. 

“Oh, I probably should have asked earlier,” Alisha said suddenly, interrupting the easy flow of the music. “Do your parents know you're out right now?”

“Man, you really are the straight-laced type, worrying about that,” Rose replied with a grin. “It's just me and my dad, but yeah, he knows. I told him this morning before he went out to run a couple errands that I'd be out in the afternoon and might be late for dinner. And he knows I'm going to visit the LU campus with a friend, but not the reason why. I figured that might be something best left out for right now.”

“That is probably for the best.” Though from her tone, Alisha didn't sound entirely sure of that. “Do you mind if I ask what your father does for a living? I know it might sound strange to ask, but everyone knows who my father is and who he is to Ladylake.”

“Nah, I get it. It's an equal footing type deal,” Rose said with a dismissive wave of her left hand. “Dad owns a small chain of general supply stores, mostly here in Hyland between Ladylake and Marlind, but he's managed to get a couple more in Lastonbell and Pendrago, and he's been trying to get another set up in Goddodin. They sell mostly groceries, but also deal some in travel-related gear and outerwear, like jackets, hoodies, and gloves.”

“Oh? What's the name of the chain?”

“Sparrowfeather Markets, and the travel gear and outerwear clothing line falls under our Wagtail brand.”

“So your father is Bradley Aves?” There was an impressed note to Alisha's tone. “I feel almost foolish for asking, now! But then Sorey and Mikleo never did tell me your last name.”

“Don't worry about it! I can't keep track of most other students' last names a lot of the time, and it's not like my dad is as well known as yours. I'm actually kind of surprised you know who he is at all.”

“Given my father's involvement in politics, I try to keep up with most of what he does for the city, some of which involves charity functions with local vendors.”

“Ah, right. That makes sense since dad likes involving our business with a number of charity fundraisers. Come to think of it, I do remember him going to meet with your father a least a couple of times for that kinda stuff.”

Alisha nodded and hummed in acknowledgment. “From what I've heard about him, your father really is a good man, though quite a busy one.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. It's the one negative to being the daughter of a single parent who runs a business, especially since he needs to be away from home sometimes for business trips. Once in a while when it doesn't interfere too much with school, I do get to go with him, though, so that's been pretty cool. It's sort of let me get some ahead of time lessons on how to properly manage a business.”

“So you do intend to go into the family business with him, then?”

“Oh, for sure. He's been teaching me how to upkeep a shop and even how to haggle over prices when applicable,” Rose chuckled. “So what about you, though? You planning on following in your father's footsteps or what?”

“Only somewhat. Father is very grounded here in Ladylake and Hyland as a whole, but I have always wanted to travel more, so I'll be pursuing a degree in History and International Relations once I get into university.”

“I'm really starting to see how you, Sorey and Mikleo became such fast friends. If you all end up at the same college, I guess you might still get to be in the same classes once in a while.”

Alisha smiled at the thought, though she kept her eyes on the road as LU came into view further down the street. “That would be lovely. Graduating from high school and moving onto college is one of the major ways in which friends are often separated and eventually lose track of one another, but I have always hoped that our shared interests would keep us close, even if over distances, should we end up at different schools.”

At the mention of drifting and lost friendships, Rose fell silent as Alisha focused on getting them through the last couple of blocks of lights and into the parking lot on that end of the campus. It wasn't as though Rose had never considered the idea of losing track of her friends after high school ended. After all, the thought was one that most junior and senior high school students needed to confront as they decided on career paths, researched universities and put in applications. Rose had just never wanted to dwell on it long. In some ways, she was a planner, at least when it came to managing supplies and funds. Her father had taught her well in that respect. But in other ways, not so much. When it came to her relations, she tended to live in the moment. She took life as it came at her. She tried not to think too deeply about anything that might hurt her beyond a hit to the old pocketbook.

But her life would change considerably after she left the public school system behind and even more so following college. Though she and her current set of friends would all have reasons to travel with some frequency at the very least, it was highly probable that it would be to different areas of the world at different times and for vastly different reasons. Potentially, it could be several months, perhaps even a few years between the times in which she might actually see any of them face to face.

As depressing as that line of thinking was, it was fortunately interrupted by the feeling of the car coming to a halt as Alisha chose a parking space and pulled her vehicle into it.

“Rose, are you alright?”

Alisha's question shook Rose from the last of her downward spiral way of thinking and she shook her head once before forcing a smile. “Oh, yeah! I'm fine. I just got lost in thought for a sec. Shall we go bother your beau, now?”

Thankfully, Alisha didn't ask any further questions, getting her phone out instead to presumably shoot Sergei a quick text to let him know they had arrived. “Yes. Sergei said he would be in the residence hall at this time, so we can check in right away and take the elevator up to his floor.” A pause as Alisha glanced over. “You are not too nervous about this, are you, Rose?”

“Nah! I mean, if we run into Dezel, we run into him. If we don't, we don't. Either way, it'll be fun to get a quick glimpse into dorm life.”

With that, the two of them got out of the car and began to follow one of the concrete walkways toward the nearby residence hall. On the way, Rose distracted herself by noticing how the fall weather was causing the surrounding plant life to change with the season. When she had visited the campus in the spring for a couple hours, all the greenery had been growing and in full bloom. Now, the many trees that occupied the area between buildings and rooted in the grass-covered sections were starting to change their deep greens out for tinges of golden yellow. And while these shifts were already occurring all over Ladylake, there was a sort of added beauty that came with the carefully curated spaces of parks and various campuses, university or otherwise.

The residence hall Sergei lived in was designed in much the same fashion as the surrounding buildings, done up in red brick and gray concrete with swaths of ivy climbing the sides in places. A handful of students were out front as Rose and Alisha approached, sitting on some benches, drinking coffee and chattering on about everything from essay paper deadlines to politics to a party that had been held in another hall the night before.

Sergei was waiting for the girls when they arrived in the lobby, exchanging a quick kiss with Alisha in greeting before standing aside so she and Rose could leave their identification with the front desk staff. The three of them then rode the elevator to the third floor and headed for the common room area. Most of the students they passed on the way didn't bat an eye at the two high school seniors in their midst, though a few did wave briefly to Alisha.

The common room was a nicely designed space that Rose found to be a decently cozy setting with chairs and couches, some of which were arranged near a television that was currently tuned to a classic movie channel, a couple of students sprawled out on a couch while watching an old black and white noir film. Another sat in a comfortable looking chair on the other side of the room, a thick fantasy novel open in her lap, a can of soda in one hand and a pair of headphones covering both ears over her golden blonde hair.

“Is this your first time in one of the residence halls, Rose?” Sergei asked as the three of them sat down, Rose in a chair and Sergei and Alisha on one of the couches.

“Sort of,” Rose replied as she continued to glance around. “I took a campus tour last spring that went inside one of the other buildings just briefly, but dorm life wasn't something I bothered to look into much. At least not here, anyway, since if this is where I end up, I'd be living at home and commuting.”

“It is a definite experience, one I am glad to be undertaking, but living at home would certainly cut down on your costs,” Sergei said with a nod. “There is also something to be said for the level of space and privacy.”

As if to demonstrate that last part, another student wandered over before either Rose or Alisha could say anything in response, a bottle of tea in hand. He was fairly tall and well built with his long black hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a tee-shirt that looked like it might be intentionally a size too small to show off his physique, tucked in under a brown leather belt with a silver dragon-shaped buckle over a pair of jeans that did far too good of a job of showing off his ass. 

Not that Rose was looking on purpose, but some things were a little difficult to miss when they were made so damn easy to notice.

“Hey, Sergei. Alisha.” The tall fellow's tone was a jovial one, earning nods from both fellow student and his guest. “Decided to get in one last visit before the weekend was over, eh? And you brought a friend this time, Alisha.”

Rose felt her cheeks growing warm as his eyes met hers, their amber hues almost bordering on auburn. 

“Zaveid, this is Rose,” Sergei said, gesturing at Rose with one hand. “She is a senior at the same high school Alisha attends.”

Rose's heart jumped into her throat. If she recalled correctly, this guy was roommates with Dezel. Standing up, she extended her hand to Zaveid in an almost automatic way, shaking hands with him briefly, all too aware of his firm grip and the way those eyes assessed her. “Hey, nice to meet you. Alisha invited me to come with her this time. You know, just to kinda check out what dorm life is like.”

“Rose, huh?” The name intensified the spark of interest in Zaveid's eyes, his mouth curving into a sly grin. “Pretty name. Seems kinda familiar, too... I'd ask if we've met before, but I think I'd remember those striking blue eyes and that auburn hair.”

Despite being the normally confident sort, Rose immediately went on the defensive. It wasn't as though she hadn't been hit on before. That had been going on since she was fifteen or so. It was just when it came from someone older and outside of school that she always decided to err on the side of caution. Still, she wasn't about to lose control of this situation, her brow furrowing while her eyes narrowed a fraction. “I think I'd remember someone as good looking and overly confident as you, too. Especially since you seem like the sort who I'd deem worthy of a swift kick in the ass.”

“Whoa, hey now! Easy, there,” Zaveid exclaimed holding up one hand and shuffling back half a step, his grin quickly becoming a sheepish smile. “No need to get so worked up. Just felt like your name rang a bell, is all. Not that Rose is an entirely uncommon name.”

“Hmph, I'll ring your bell if you don't watch your manners around me,” Rose warned with a dangerous smirk, much to the surprise of Sergei and borderline panic of Alisha.

“A-Alright, I do think that's quite enough,” Alisha advised in a placating tone. “No need to cause a scene in here. We would not want to get in trouble with this floor's Resident Adviser, after all. She may ask us to leave.”

“Only if you really push her buttons.” All four heads turned toward the petite blonde seated in the chair a short distance away, the open book still in her hands as she glanced over at them with bored blue eyes. “Anyway, you don't need to worry about Zaveid. He's a harmless idiot. A loud, swaggering one, but a harmless one none the less.”

“Aw, c'mon, Edna!” Zaveid said with a sigh. “You're harshing my game over here.”

“You can't be part of a game if no one wants to play with you,” Edna replied with a wry smile before looking back at her book. “Anyway, keep it down. I can hear you morons through my music and it's ruining my reading time.”

Zaveid shrugged in an almost helpless sort of way and shook his head before turning his attention back to Rose. “So much for my slick approach, I guess.”

Still not entirely convinced that this guy wasn't worth being wary over, Rose folded her arms over her chest and eyed him with mild suspicion and definite distaste. “Actually, there was nothing slick about it. You wanna come right out on what your point is here, or what?”

“Mmph, fine.” Zaveid set his free hand on his hip and his flirty air dissipated further. “I've never been one to ignore a good looking lady, but your name does actually sound familiar. You don't volunteer at a local animal shelter, do you?”

Rose could feel both Alisha and Sergei's eyes on her, the question itself making her tense even more than being hit on by a guy who looked like he was two or three years her senior. “Uh, yeah. I do. Why?”

Zaveid's eyebrows arched briefly before his expression settled into something more serious again. “Huh. Can I talk to you in private for a few minutes?”

“Technically, a resident's guests are supposed to stay with them for the duration of their stay,” Sergei interjected, clearly a bit wary of the rule-breaking at the very least. Though he knew as well as his friends did that Zaveid was roommates with the guy Rose had been curious about, the situation was still somewhat on the tense side.

“You know as well as I do that ten minutes isn't going to hurt a thing, Sergei,” Zaveid said, undeterred. “Besides, Lailah might be one for the rules, but she's too nice to cause a fuss over one of your guests wandering away for a few minutes.”

“For an idiot, he's got a point.” Edna again, though this time she didn't look their way. “Besides, if it makes things here quieter, I'm all for it.”

“Alright, fine. Ten minutes,” Rose finally agreed as she looked to Zaveid again. “Lead the way.”

“We'll be here when you're through talking, Rose,” Alisha assured her, and Rose could see the hopeful look in her eyes. Even though this was not how either of them thought their visit might go, things were taking an interesting if somewhat uncomfortable turn.

“Or we will check on you if you are not back in twelve minutes,” Sergei added, his gaze more on Zaveid than Rose.

“Sheesh, everybody around here is always so damn uptight!” Zaveid complained, leading the way out of the common room. “Nothing bad is going to happen!”

Rose cast a glance back at her friends before walking out in Zaveid's wake, following him back into the living quarter area and to a closed door that wasn't too far down the way. Zaveid used a key to open it and peered inside briefly before waving Rose in with his other hand. She glanced warily at him a moment, then entered and had a quick look around, if to mark a blunt object or two that might be good to smash over the idiot's head in case he actually did try anything. Her gaze immediately fell on a black cane leaned against the wall by one of the beds. Though it appeared lightweight, it could still hurt a fair deal if used correctly in a fight.

The set of dog food and water bowls down on the floor in the same area caught her attention after, however, and Rose realized that Sergei had been correct; this was the dorm room Dezel lived in. Rose suddenly felt a surge of discomfort and embarrassment, feeling like she was invading the space of someone she didn't know all that well, and for what? Curiosity's sake? Though not one to feel shame all that often, it was quick to follow in this case, riding upon the heels of her other less than pleasant emotions and making Rose want to leave as soon as possible.

Except that Zaveid had shut the door as he followed Rose inside.

“Sorry about earlier,” were the first words out of his mouth as he moved to sit down on the other bed and motioned to what Rose assumed must be his desk chair. “Admittedly, I did approach you at first because you are pretty cute and I'm always game for a little flirting, but if you are the Rose my roommate knows from the shelter...”

Her stomach squirming in her middle, Rose took the offered seat and nervously glanced around again before answering. “Dezel, right? He's...mentioned me?”

“Yeah, but only after I hounded him about it a little,” Zaveid admitted. “Originally he only told Lailah about you but didn't mention your name. She slipped up and mentioned you to Edna and me, so I pestered him about it a couple nights ago. Finally got him to give up your name, at least.”

A frown settled over Rose's features, her own guilt slowly being replaced by disapproval. “So you weaseled the info out of him because you're nosy.”

“Let's replace 'nosy' with 'concerned.' That sounds better.”

“It's only better if that's really what it is, you know.”

“It is, actually.” Zaveid uncapped the drink he'd been carrying around, took a sip from it and then leaned over to set it on the nearby bedside table. “The whole reason I wanted to talk to you was to make sure you're treating him well. The guy can typically take care of himself pretty well and he'd be pissed if he found out I was talking to you about this, but he's also not really the social sort.”

Rose's frown dissipated somewhat, though knowing that Zaveid had Dezel's best interests in mind didn't make all this much more comfortable. “No kidding. Kinda seems like all he wants to talk about is animals.”

“I know it seems that way, but it's more like that's what easy for him to discuss. Or at least that's always the way it's seemed to me. He's just a hard shell to crack on everything else.”

“Is it because of, you know...” Rose couldn't quite bring herself to say it for some reason, so she vaguely gestured to her own eyes as an indicator.

Zaveid shook his head once. “Nah, I don't think so. At least not entirely. Dezel's a complicated guy and while it's not really my place to tell you what I know about him in detail, I will say that he's had a rough life. And not just because he's legally blind.”

“Was...was he born that way? I mean, if you're okay with telling me that much.”

“No, he wasn't. He started losing his sight when he was in high school.”

Rose couldn't help but grimace. Losing such a vital sense after having it for years must've hit Dezel hard. It'd probably hit just about anyone hard. She couldn't bring herself to ask for further details on that particular subject, however, as it didn't seem right to bother his roommate for information that was Dezel's alone to discuss in depth. “So did you know him back then, too?”

“Kind of. I knew who he was, anyway, but we weren't friends.”

“But you guys are friends now, right? You're sharing a dorm room and you're talking to me about all this on his behalf.”

There was second or two of silence while Zaveid rubbed at the side of his neck, something Rose took as a mild sign of discomfort. “That might be pushing it. The guy's really good at keeping most people at arm's length.”

“So, what, are you hoping maybe since I'm putting in volunteer hours at the animal shelter right now that I could make it into the very exclusive Dezel's Friends Club while you can't?”

“Maybe. But let me ask you something, Rose. Why are you really here? You said it was to check out dorm life, but why would you need to if you're already living in Ladylake? And how did you know I was talking about Dezel from the get-go and not some other nineteen year old putting in time at the shelter?”

Rose felt her stomach drop somewhere down around by her feet. And while her father's lessons in price haggling had taught her how to maintain a fairly decent poker face, she must have paled a fraction if the look on Zaveid's face was any indicator. He might have found her out, but she needed to keep calm and cool about it. “Well, whoever you mentioned would have to be somewhere around our respective ages, right? And have a dog?” She jerked a thumb toward the pet supplies and dog bowls by the foot of the other bed. “Dezel's the only one I could think of off-hand who fit the bill. At least out of the people I've talked to much at the shelter.”

“Fair points,” Zaveid admitted with a small smirk and a nod. “But even being able to guess who I was talking about doesn't explain why you're here right now.”

“Sergei's my friend too, you know. Am I not allowed to visit with him once in a while?” That probably came out far more defensive than necessary, but it was too late to take it back.

“Also a fair point. But I suppose that means you'll also be visiting again at some point?”

Oh crap. She should have anticipated that follow up question. Rose couldn't respond immediately, letting the silence hang between them half a second too long before managing a reply. One that didn't sound entirely convincing to her, unfortunately. “Uh, sure. Yeah. At some point.”

“Mmhmm. Alright, then.” Judging from the look on his face, Zaveid did not appear entirely convinced. Regardless, he rose from his spot on the bed and walked back to the door to usher Rose out. “Well, no point in keeping you any longer, I suppose. Especially if your friend is going to come looking for you in a minute or two. Just do me a favor as his friend and cut Dezel a little slack, huh?”

Taking the hint, Rose stood up as well and walked over, unable to help stealing a glance at the cane and pet bowls one more time. “Sure, as long as he behaves himself. I don't have a problem with that.”

Zaveid nodded in acknowledgment, but hesitated to actually open the door, his hand resting on the handle a second or two before he spoke up again, another question having sprung up and needing to be asked. Yet another that caused Rose's stomach to twist a bit. “You don't dislike him, do you? He thinks you do.”

“What? No! I mean, the whole stand-offish attitude kinda makes it hard to like him right away,” Rose said, trying not to fumble for words and wishing that damn door would open already so she could escape back to her friends. “But I can tell he's not a bad guy. Plus it's sort of nice to see him, you know, drop the whole lone wolf facade once he starts talking about what he's interested in. Makes him less...intimidating? Or, no, that's not really it. More like...just approachable.”

And human. And maybe even a little vulnerable. The thought somehow brought a little burst of warmth to Rose's cheeks.

Zaveid, meanwhile, just smiled in an all too knowing way. “Yeah? Good to hear. Anyway, I won't keep ya any longer. Besides, Dezel's been out for a while and will probably be back soon. It'll be more awkward than I can deal with if he comes back to find you in here.”

He pulled the door open on those last few words and motioned for Rose to exit into the hall, which she did with a glance back and an expression of mild uncertainty. Her thoughts were awhirl and her heart was beating just a tad too quickly, and there were words on the tip of her tongue, demanding to be let loose. Ones that she knew she might regret and yet...

“Yeah, that probably wouldn't be too good,” she admitted. “And if it didn't require you telling him that I was here, I'd say you could tell him we talked a little. And that I don't dislike him.”

“Oh, should I not tell him you were here visiting a friend? I thought that'd be harmless enough. Especially since you'll be back at some point.”

 _Godsdamn this guy,_ Rose couldn't help but think. He kept managing to talk her into a corner. She quickly forced a smile, even though she knew she had to have been visibly blushing by that point. “Well, I guess you could. But just not mention we talked about him. So you don't get yourself in hot water with your roommie and all that.”

“That's what I figured would be fair. Anyway, enjoy the rest of your visit, Rosie. I'll see you around, huh?” A smirk and a wink followed and then the door shut between them.

“'Rosie'?” Rose echoed quietly in incredulity before sighing. “The nerve of some people. Jeez.”

Turning away, she headed back toward the common room. She was just glad it had been a good few hours since she last ate, otherwise anxiety likely would have had her feeling sick. This trip may not have been such a great idea, after all...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My thanks to Sol for handling beta reading on this chapter, as well as helping overall with how this story's come together!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dezel finds out Rose visited his residence hall on campus. He doesn't take it too well.

It was with some degree of difficulty that Dezel managed to get the door to his dorm room open, releasing Sylph's harness long enough to dig his key out of his jacket pocket while being careful not to drop the box of food in his other hand. Fortunately, Burger Basket, one of the fast food restaurants across the street from that side of the campus, was good about packing their orders securely for takeout. Ironically, however, it was literal boxes with handles on the top that were used for such orders; baskets were reserved for dine-in only.

Dezel didn't bother to ask if his roommate was there when he finally got the door open and pushed his way into the room. Zaveid was a pain in the ass some of the time, but unless he was dead asleep, he was generally good about leaving the door unlocked when he was in and it was too early in the evening for the sophomore to be conked out already. Still, it was a minor annoyance to know that Zaveid was out somewhere, as Dezel had called him earlier to ask if he wanted burgers for dinner and received an answer in the affirmative. Where was that nosy idiot, anyway?

After setting the takeout box down on his desk, Dezel went about the task of removing Sylph's harness and serving her dinner, giving her the usual scoop of dog kibble before emptying the remains of a half water bottle he'd left by her food bin that morning into her water dish. While his guide dog ate, Dezel then took the time to get changed into more comfortable clothes, opting for a pair of black athletic pants and an old chess club shirt from his senior year in high school. It was as he pulled the shirt down over his head that the door opened and Zaveid walked in, smelling of shampoo and soap. Out of what peripheral vision Dezel still possessed, he could see what looked like a towel over one of Zaveid's shoulders.

“Went to the campus gym?” Dezel asked, hearing what he thought sounded like Zaveid's workout bag hitting the floor near the sophomore's bed.

“Yep! Figured I'd put in a little time on the treadmill,” Zaveid replied with an air of tired satisfaction. “Would've done some lifting, too, but I didn't have anyone to spot me.”

“Before you ask, the answer is 'no'.”

“Well, that's rude! Maybe I wasn't going to ask.”

“You've asked before, so just consider it a preliminary precaution,” Dezel said, taking a seat on his bed with a frown. “I do fine with the dumbbells and exercise bands I have here.”

Pulling the towel from around his neck, Zaveid tossed it into his laundry basket. “Sure, for now. But if you ever want to pick up a little more definition, you need to be a little more serious about working out. Just saying. And if you spot me, I'd be more than willing to spot for you.”

“You just want to be in a position to show off to in the weight area.”

“Which I do when I can talk other people into spotting for me, true. That said, let's not make this entirely about me. You are a pretty good looking guy, Dez, so-”

“So nothing.” The words were firm. Final. Despite his damaged vision, Dezel glared in Zaveid's direction, daring him to continue. “Do you want to eat, or no? I brought up the order from across the street.”

“Fine. And yeah, I do.” Shrugging off Dezel's frustration, Zaveid popped open the top of the takeout box and began to divvy out the food, which was half a dozen cheap burgers, all individually wrapped. Getting meals off campus wasn't a typical occurrence, not when student tuition paid into plans at the cafeteria, but once in a while, one of them would sink a few spare gald into some cheap eats. “Three and three... Here you go, buddy.”

Dezel accepted his stack of three small burgers, managing to balance the pile on an open napkin in his lap. Zaveid handed him a can of diet soda after, breaking it as well as one for himself off the six-pack sitting atop Dezel's bookshelf. 

The two of them ate in silence for a few minutes, Dezel doing his usual best to ignore the feeling of Sylph's eyes on him, his dog having finished her own food and hoping quietly for a handout. Fortunately, she had been trained not to be obvious in her begging, a behavior that was tough to train out of any dog. Dezel, however, continually refrained from offering her any human food. It wasn't good for her for one and, for another, it would get her into the habit of wanting it more.

As Dezel was about halfway through his second burger, pausing in his chow down session to take a long drink of generic diet lemon-lime soda, Zaveid started talking again. Typically, Dezel resigned himself to just listening to his roommate babble if he started talking while they were eating a meal together, but this time proved difficult to offer only a minimal amount of attention to the words falling out of Zaveid's head hole in between bites of burger.

“So that girl you kinda know from the shelter... Rose, right?” Zaveid began, the words immediately causing Dezel to pause his meal, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Turns out she knows both Sergei and Sergei's girlfriend, Alisha.”

“The guy down the hall, with the girlfriend that plays Lacrosse,” Dezel said, suddenly uncomfortable, even as he recalled the information to let Zaveid knew he understood the subjects of the conversation. “What about them, and her? How do you know they know each other?”

Dezel was immediately suspicious that Zaveid had been talking about all this behind his back to other people. Hell, it had already sort of happened once, hadn't it?

“Well, Alisha's a high school senior, remember? So's that Rose girl. They both go to the same school,” Zaveid explained casually, pausing for another bite of food before saying anything further. “Also both girls were here today to visit Sergei.”

“They...what?” Dezel felt his stomach lurch.

“Yeah, I talked to that Rose girl for a few minutes. Had to ask her if she volunteered at that same animal shelter you go to all the time. Felt obligatory after I found out her name.”

“Gods, Zaveid. Tell me you didn't flirt with her!”

“I did. At first. But then she threatened to kick my ass,” Zaveid said with a smirk in his tone. “Besides, after I found out she was the same girl you know, I couldn't keep flirting with her in good conscience.”

Dezel growled. “Tch, you say that like it matters. I told you I'm not interested in other people that way."

“Funny, I wouldn't have guessed that from how upset you just got over the idea of me flirting with her.”

“For one, I'm not upset. Secondly, your flirting habits are embarrassing. That's all there is to it.”

“You're hurting my feelings over here, Dez,” Zaveid said as he placed his free hand over his heart, the other still holding part of a burger. “But seriously, I don't think she'd be interested in me anyway. She was on about visiting to see what dorm life is like even though she lives here in Ladylake and making excuses about visiting Sergei, but I think the real reason she came up here was in the hope she'd run into you.”

Dezel nearly choked on his food. Trying to take another bite while Zaveid was flapping his yap had been a terrible mistake. For a few seconds, he couldn't say anything back, too busy coughing and then gulping down some soda to help clear the issue. “The...the hell makes you so sure about that?”

“Just in how the conversation went. I asked her if she might know a friend of mine who also volunteers at a shelter and she immediately said your name.”

Dezel sat in shocked silence for a few seconds, though it didn't take long for anxiety to take hold of him, fear creeping in along with it. “Th-that doesn't prove anything! Honestly, why the hell would she have come here looking for me, anyway?”

“Maybe you were wrong about her. Maybe she does like you.”

“Well, I...I don't like her! She can mind her own damn business and stay away from me!”

“Aww, c'mon, Dez! She's really pretty. I don't know how much you've noticed, but she's a redhead for one. She's got blue eyes for another. Cute, petite build. Looks like she'd be a hell of a runner. Or maybe a gymnast.”

Dezel could feel his hands starting to shake. He set his soda aside for fear of spilling it. “I don't want to talk about this anymore.”

Zaveid was silent after and, for one blessed moment, Dezel thought he might have dropped the subject. But given it was Zaveid, that was apparently too much to hope for.

“Look, Dezel,” Zaveid began, causing Dezel to pause in eating again. “I know we've been over this already, but... You can't keep shoving people away, man. I'm not stupid, I know you put up with me because we room together. And I know you're tired of getting this crap from me and Lailah and other people on this floor. But would it really hurt to be nice to someone like Rose? Even if you're not looking for a significant other, would it really kill you to have a friend off campus?”

Dezel could feel his temper flaring, but managed to tamp it down. He didn't want to explode. He just wanted to finish his food. “She'd be a distraction from my studies. So yeah, it would be.”

“Man, seriously? You're already seeing her once or twice a week at the shelter, right? How is this so damn difficult for you? It's not like you have to go to her house or let her come up here to visit specifically with you!”

“I don't even want to deal with that much, alright? I go to the shelter to spend time with the animals there, not other people!”

“If this has anything to do with your uncle-”

“Godsdammit, don't you dare bring him into this, you nosy son of a bitch!” Dezel was on his feet before he quite realized what he was doing, one finger pointed angrily in his roommate's general direction. Fortunately, his last burger was in his other hand, saving it from hitting the floor. That mattered little at the moment, however. Nearby, Sylph whined quietly, upset by the sudden shift in the emotional atmosphere, though Dezel kept his focus on Zavied. “Just shut your mouth already! I'm sick and tired of you pushing me on this bullshit all the time!”

Zaveid sighed. When he spoke again, his voice was lower. Quieter. “Alright, fine. I think we're both tired of this song and dance already, anyway. I just want you to promise me one thing.”

Dezel regarded Zaveid with suspicion through narrowed eyes before hesitantly sitting down again. “Fine. What?”

Zaveid's own eyes narrowed a fraction, though it was a detail too fine for Dezel to pick up on, even in his peripheral vision. The sophomore's tone more than conveyed his own mood, however, carrying an underlying hint of warning. “Don't you dare break this girl's heart, hear me? If she's crushing on you, you let her down easy. None of this lack of communication crap that happens when you turn away and don't want to talk. You tell her and you tell her straight, got me?”

“Why the hell do you care what I do? You only just met her.”

“Because despite what you think of me, I'm actually not that big of an asshole, Dez. At least not one who's going to mess with a high school senior.”

Dezel huffed out a sigh of his own, then took a grudging bite of his last burger, chewing and swallowing before responding lowly. “Fine. Whatever. I just don't want to talk about this further. I have a test in the morning I need to study for, anyway.”

“Okay, okay. Consider the subject dropped, then,” Zaveid conceded before turning his own attention back to his unfinished food. His next words came out around a mouthful of burger, much to Dezel's annoyance. “Won't bring it up again, either. Not as long as you follow through on being a decent guy about everything.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

As they finished their meal in silence, however, Dezel couldn't help but let his mind remain on the topic he so sorely wished not to discuss. The very thought of Rose reminded him of how they'd accidentally touched while grooming Sylph. Of how she'd known to ask permission to pet his companion. Of how she was there twice a week, working to help the animals he loved so damn much, even if it was just for class credit. Certainly, she was new to it, but she was trying. And listening.

The thought of Rose possibly being interested in him made his heart flutter in an uncomfortable way. One he had difficulty placing beyond nervousness. He didn't understand all that well how this was different from the way people on the LU campus interacted with him. Dormmates like Zaveid and Lailah, who were consistently kind to him and yet...

Well, they were always pestering him about opening up more, about being more social, weren't they? Continuously concerned about what was supposedly good for him. Pushy in a way Dezel had little patience for, even if they meant well. It was like having adoptive older siblings he never asked for. Kindness? He wasn't sure he was ready to accept that.

And maybe it was because this Rose girl didn't know him well enough yet to be that pushy. Maybe if she found out what Lailah and Zaveid knew, she'd end up the same way. He really couldn't stand the thought, especially from someone younger than him, if only by perhaps a year at most.

Perhaps it would be best if he took some time off from volunteering at the shelter. If Rose was only there for class credit, she wouldn't be around much longer. Probably just a few more weeks. She was putting in about four hours a week, wasn't she? What was the requirement again for most high school class courses? Twenty, maybe twenty-five hours? It couldn't possibly be more than that. And she'd been there three weeks already if he recalled correctly. Twelve hours down, perhaps eight to go at the very least. So, another two weeks.

Dezel would call Ms. Morgrim in the morning. They would just have to do without him for a little while.

* * *

When Rose arrived at Maws and Paws for her midweek volunteer session, she found herself sitting in her car for a few minutes before gathering the courage to actually go inside. Butterflies flitted about in her middle for reasons she did not completely understand, bidding her to take a few deep breaths and wait before even getting out of her car. Perhaps it was because of where she had been just a few days earlier and this would be the first time since then and last week that she'd have a chance to see Dezel again.

It was ridiculous, really. After all, it wasn't as if she'd told Zaveid that she was on the LU campus looking for his roommate. And unless Zaveid or Edna or Sergei had told Dezel that she had been there, he likely had no way of knowing she'd ever set foot in the residence hall. Then again, she hadn't told Zaveid not to mention her visit, either. Especially since he'd sort of cornered her on the possibility of visiting just to say “hello” to Sergei again at some point in the future. So Dezel might know. Maybe.

What would he say if he did know? Nothing, potentially. Just because Rose had been in the residence hall didn't mean she even knew Dezel lived there. And maybe he'd want to keep it that way if he thought that was the case.

Regardless, sitting in the car and staring at the front entrance of Maws and Paws was ridiculous, and Rose needed to get her ass in gear. She was better than that, dammit! Drawing in a deep, cleansing breath, she exited her vehicle and walked up to the entrance. It seemed her anxiety would not be so easily dealt with, however. If anything, it welled stronger within her, leaving her with a pounding heart and a decidedly uncomfortable sensation in her chest. Still, she made it through the front door and to the office, where she set her belongings down in a chair before going to change into the old t-shirt she'd brought with her that day.

So distracted was Rose with all her thoughts about whether or not Dezel knew she'd been to his dorm floor that she failed to notice something important – Sylph was not in the office in her usual place.

Volunteer work that day crawled by at a snail's pace. Rose found herself continuously on high alert, glancing up or over anytime anyone passed her by, wondering if it was Dezel or not. Yet, after spending two hours cleaning up in the cat room and helping with laundry with nary a glimpse of the tall, stand-offish fellow the entire time, Rose began to wonder where he was if he was even at the shelter that day at all.

When she returned to the office to collect her school bag and make sure her log had been signed off, Rose found Ms. Morgrim there at her desk, glancing over some paperwork from one of their veterinarian volunteers. Following their usual pleasantries, however, Rose found she couldn't just up and leave without saying anything further.

“Hey, Ms. Morgrim? Do you mind if I ask you something real quick?”

“Not at all, dear,” Ms. Mogrim replied without glancing up from the stack of papers in front of her. “What is it?”

Rose picked her bag up, slinging it over one shoulder. “Did Dezel come in at all today?”

It was then that the aging administrator finally did look up. “He didn't, dear, no. I doubt he'll be here the rest of the week, either.”

Rose felt her chest grow tight. “Is he okay?”

“I think so. Just under the weather from the sound of it. It isn't too unusual for our regular volunteers to take a little time off once in a while, should they fall ill or need time to get their lives in order. Or if their studies or jobs are temporarily demanding more from them,” Ms. Morgrim said with a reassuring smile.

“I guess it is getting to be flu and cold season...”

“It is, yes. Likely he will be back around as usual next week, so don't worry too much about him.”

“Alright. Thanks, Ms. Morgrim, and I'll see you the day after tomorrow.”

“You're welcome, dear.”

As Rose left the office, the door swinging shut behind her with a soft click, she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt and worry in her already aggravated chest. If Dezel was sick, how was he doing? Hopefully, he was being responsible about getting some actual rest between classes. And hopefully, his roommate was being good to him and not bothering him too much.

It was as she left the shelter that another thought occurred to Rose, however.

What if Dezel found out that Rose had been to the dorms and that had spooked him so badly that he didn't want to come back to the shelter this week?

The thought made her feel mildly ill, even though it seemed an utterly paranoid one to have at all. Yet she couldn't manage to shake it, not even on the drive home. It would certainly be a long rest of the week and weekend, waiting until next week sometime to see if Dezel would be back by then...

* * *

“He won't be here at all this week, either?”

Rose stood in one of the vacated kennels, a broom in her hands as she talked with Ms. Morgrim, who had come out of her office to help feed the dogs. As soon as Rose had seen the older woman, she couldn't help but ask, yet was almost immediately sorry that she had done so.

“I'm afraid not,” Ms. Morgrim said with a bit of a sigh and a slow shake of her head. “He called the other day in the morning, as he did last week, and said he wouldn't be here. Something about being behind in his classwork.”

“Oh. I guess if he was sick, he might have missed some classes last week.” Despite the logic of it, Rose couldn't quite keep the disappointment out of her voice.

“More than likely. Though I'm now worried about the vacant work hours, here. I'm sure he'll be back eventually. He's got such a soft spot for animals and enjoys helping them so much. In the meantime, however, that is one less person we have to help with our special cases.”

“The dogs and cats with issues, you mean?”

“Yes, dear. We were hoping to move a couple of them out of the secluded kennels in a couple of weeks, but this may set us back a bit. Dezel worked exclusively with them at least three times a week. We do have other volunteers who do work with those animals, but one less person is still one less person,” Ms. Morgrim explained.

For a long moment, Rose said nothing, merely gripping the broom a little tighter, her gaze dropping down to the concrete floor by her own feet. Then, suddenly, she came to a decision.

“Ms. Morgrim? Remember a few weeks back when I asked about learning to work with those special case animals?”

“Of course, dear. Why?”

“I know this is technically my final week here, earning credit for my civics class, but...” Rose looked up, expression one of firm resolve. “I've decided I want to start regularly volunteering, here. And I'd like to start learning to work with animals who need some extra help. There might be some weeks where I can't be here for more than one day because of school, but I figure it's better than nothing.”

Ms. Morgrim's eyebrows arched and she lifted one hand to adjust her glasses a bit, her dark eyes appearing quite serious behind the thick lenses. “That would be lovely, but are you sure, Rose? Don't forget what I said before about volunteering for the right reasons."

“Yeah, I'm sure. And I do think my reasons are the right ones. I've kinda gotten used to being here a couple of times of week after school and it's nice to feel like I'm doing something that has a positive impact on the community. Plus I've found that I like working with and around the animals here more than I thought I would.” Rose paused, considering her next words carefully. Her voice, when she spoke again, softened somewhat along with her expression. “Also... I've been thinking about it and I feel like I've got some common ground with some of these animals. I lost both my parents when I was a little kid and was adopted by a man who was fine with being a single parent when I was only five. I don't remember a whole lot from before I found a home, but I do remember the feelings associated with not having one. Being lost, scared and not sure where I'd end up. There were a number of people who had patience with me when I was in that situation, so I guess putting in more hours here would be like me paying it forward to animals who are still in need of homes and loving human companions. I admit I've been a little back and forth on making the decision, but since you're shorthanded right now, I feel like that's as good a sign as any to step up.”

When Rose was through speaking, Ms. Morgrim nodded once, a small but soft smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She adjusted her glasses once more, then clasped her hands behind her back. “Those are some good and fair reasons, I believe. Very well, dear. When you come in at the end of the school week, I'll have Margaret show you the kennel area where we house our canine special cases. She should be in that day and can start instructing you on how to treat our shy little ones.”

Rose couldn't help but smile back, then offer a quick, sharp little salute. “Yes, ma'am. I'll be sure to be here at my usual time, ready to train.”

“Of course, and we'll be glad to have you for that. Thank you, Rose.”

As Ms. Morgrim continued on her way to join another one of the volunteers on dog food duty, Rose let out a breath she felt like she'd been holding the entire time, leaning on her broom a bit. She would have been lying if she said she'd not given some degree of thought to volunteering more at the shelter, but it wasn't until that day and those last ten minutes or so when she had made the decision to just go for it. Brad would be proud of her, though, and volunteer hours always looked good on college applications. Plus Rose hadn't been lying about legitimately wanting to help some of the shelter's more needy animal residents. In a way, she could relate to them and their plight.

Rose did still have to wonder about Dezel, though. Had he actually been ill? Was he really behind in his classwork? Or was all of it just some excuse not to be at the shelter so he wouldn't need to have contact with the girl who had invaded his safe spaces at the LU dorms? Rose supposed she couldn't blame Dezel too awful much if it really was the latter since showing up at the dorms had felt nothing but awkward, even on her end. Still, if the bastard was avoiding his volunteer work then-!

...no, she couldn't really get too angry over that, either. Dezel had a right to his space as much as anyone, and Rose likely had pushed too much and too hard, all too soon. If anything, it would be her fault and hers alone if Dezel's absence really was to help him avoid her.

Then again, maybe she was overthinking the situation.

Bleh, this was one of the main reasons Rose tried to avoid doing that. Too stress-inducing and far too much room to jump to conclusions.

Shrugging such heavy thoughts off, Rose went back to sweeping out the kennel she was standing in, humming the last song she'd heard on the radio before getting out of her car earlier. Amazing how after working for a few weeks in the shelter, she barely noticed all the barking, anymore. It had really faded into being just sort of strange, white background noise.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dezel returns to volunteering at the animal shelter, only to discover his plan of avoidance wasn't such a great one after all and things take a turn for the worse.

Dezel had lied, of course.

He kept telling himself throughout the two weeks he was absent from Maws and Paws that it wasn't a whole lot different than calling in sick to work when one was not actually sick. Granted, most people would only do that for a single day or so, but Dezel didn't go to the shelter every day, nor did he get paid for being there. Besides, it wasn't unusual for volunteers to disappear for a week or two once in a great while. He knew that from speaking with people there on the occasion, and he had warned Ms. Morgrim when he first started a few months prior that he might need time away for classwork every so often.

Still, all of that did little for his conscience when it came to considering what he was missing out on in terms of animal interaction. Dezel missed time with his special case pups and wondered every other day if they were still getting enough of the attention they specifically needed to continue their socialization training. Yet, it was “only” two weeks away. Two weeks and then he would be back in action at the shelter as usual. Rose would likely be gone by that point, having completed her mandatory volunteer hours and life would go on as usual.

His first day back at the shelter was, unfortunately, a miserably wet one. A storm system swept through during the afternoon, drenching Ladylake in a total downpour. Still, even the threat of getting soaked on his way into work at Maws and Paws was not enough to deter someone like Dezel after being absent for what felt like far too long. He and Sylph showed up, rain be damned, both of them more than a little damp by the time they made it in from the bus stop.

Dezel took a few minutes to towel dry his companion, then left her in Ms. Morgrim's office along with his wet jacket, hat, and backpack to find his way to the secluded kennel area. Having been there and back several times by that point, he didn't bother to ask anyone for help, but rather kept one hand trailing along one wall as he walked, mentally counting the steps until he reached the door into the kennel area, as well as making use of what peripheral vision he still possessed.

He let himself into the side kennel area with no trouble whatsoever. A familiar bark greeted him – that of Troxler, who was not a special case himself, but rather there to help another dog who was, of course – as well as a familiar voice Dezel had not expected to hear ever again.

“Hey, you! Glad to see you back again.”

Dezel froze just inside the door, eyes widening a fraction behind his shaggy bangs and his heart suddenly pounding its way up into his throat. Partially blind eyes stared in the redhead's general direction where she stood by a kennel housing an old terrier with trust issues. “You're...still here.”

It was far more a statement than a question. He could feel Rose's gaze on him and when she spoke again, he could hear the satisfied smirk in her voice.

“Yeah, well. When a certain someone decided they couldn't be here for a couple of weeks, I decided to start volunteering outside of class credit requirements. Margaret's been helping me learn the ropes in here to help fill the gap.”

Dezel blinked, shock melting into mere surprise and honest curiosity. “Really...? You wanted to help that much...”

“Sure, why not?” Rose shrugged. “I decided I like being here, working with and around animals. Especially since I kinda know how some of them feel.”

“You do? What do you mean by th-”

“Hey, Dezel.” The voice of Margaret interrupted him, a smile in her tone as she entered the side kennel area. “Nice to have you back. Scooter's missed you, I think. You can go ahead and work with her today while I help Rose work with Sandy.”

“Er, right,” was all Dezel could manage as Margaret brushed past him and helped Rose enter Sandy's kennel. 

Regardless of being told where he was needed for the afternoon, however, Dezel didn't move from his spot right away, listening a few moments as Margaret settled Rose into working with the old terrier. This turn of events was completely unexpected and despite having a couple of minutes to digest it, Dezel still could barely believe what he was hearing. Still, another dog needed his attention, and thus he did eventually find his way to the right kennel and enter it, sitting down to allow Troxler and then Scooter to join him. 

Try as he might, though, Dezel couldn't put his focus wholly on the two dogs he was seeing for the day. Instead, a portion of his attention lingered on what was being said in the kennel next door. He listened while Margaret talked Rose through the proper way to speak to Sandy, how to offer her treats and coax her into allowing occasional touches in certain spots.

He resolved to finish asking Rose the question he had earlier at a later time. Normally, he didn't attempt to get to know much of anyone at the shelter, not beyond Ms. Morgrim. But Rose was quickly becoming an exception to the rule.

* * *

Two hours later, Dezel found himself sitting alone in the break room, a half-empty bottle of water in one hand. Rose had left shortly before he had and by the time he made it up front, he couldn't tell if she had left the building or not, his full lack of sight be damned. Suddenly feeling strangely discouraged and disappointed, Dezel had retreated into the break room to sit for a few minutes, in no way eager to go back out into the rain.

“Hey...”

Dezel glanced up, catching a swatch of auburn in his peripheral vision. Rose was standing just inside the door, one hand on the frame.

“Hey,” he said, anxiety blooming in his chest, though hopefully not so much that he looked like a deer in headlights. 

“So how are you feeling?” Rose asked as she walked over and invited herself to sit down across from him. “I heard from Ms. Morgrim that you were sick and behind on your classwork.”

“I'm not doing too bad, I guess.” He fidgeted a little with the water bottle, fingers tracing the grooves in the plastic sides. That she knew he was a college student probably should've warranted more surprise in his tone, except that Ms. Morgrim might have told Rose what had apparently happened in almost those exact words. “Probably took more time than I really needed.”

Somehow, he couldn't bring himself to admit that he'd lied. Not at the moment, anyway. 

Rose hummed in acknowledgment and nodded. “Well, the important thing is that you're better and back again. What was it that you wanted to ask me earlier, though?”

More fidgeting with the water bottle. There was no way she wouldn't notice, he thought. How was it that she of all people could cause him to behave like this? “Nothing, really.”

“Oh, c'mon. The look on your face said differently.”

“I...” he began hesitantly before trailing off and swallowing with some difficulty. This was so stupid. He desperately wanted to know how or why Rose identified with the animals in the shelter. To ask her might invite more trouble, though, now that he considered it more carefully. “It's not important.”

Rose was quiet a moment and he wondered if his refusal to ask would cause her to leave. Part of him hoped it would while another part of him hoped she would stubbornly remain. Gods, but the latter part really needed to shut the hell up, he thought. He didn't need this right now. Some high school girl being weirdly invested in him. He had other things to concern himself with. Maybe he should've taken another week off just to be sure. Maybe he should've left the shelter immediately today instead of hanging around. Maybe-

“Dezel, can I ask you a question?”

He glanced up again, heart skipping a beat. _Say “no.”_ The words echoed in his mind. _Just say “no”, dammit!_ Instead, he nodded dumbly and kicked himself mentally immediately after.

“Did I...do something to upset you?” Rose walked closer, stopping behind the chair opposite him at the table. “Or do you just not want me around?”

Dezel swallowed again. She didn't sound angry or even displeased. If anything, there was concern in her tone. And yet he still didn't want to fess up.

“...no,” he said quietly. “And I don't care if you're here or not.”

Again, she was silent for a few seconds. Then the sound of the chair being pulled out reached him as Rose took a seat. His heart was somewhere up in his throat, threatening to choke him. He started to pick at the label on the bottle in his hands.

“Kinda seems the like the opposite is the case, so I'll leave in a minute, here, but... Listen, I just wanted to tell you part of why I decided to keep volunteering my time here.”

Dezel said nothing, refusing to glance up. The sound of paper tearing was all too loud in the small break room as he ripped a section of label off and rolled it between thumb and forefinger.

“When I was really young, like toddler age, I lost both my parents,” Rose went on, “So I spent some time in an orphanage before I was adopted.”

The motion of Dezel's fingers ceased, though he didn't look up. He found himself listening more carefully.

“I don't wanna get into all the nitty-gritty details of what that was like, so it doesn't sound like I'm trying to pawn a sob story off on you. Plus I know other people who went through similar ordeals, so it's not like this is totally unique to me,” Rose explained, her voice soft. “But I guess being here for a while really made me think. You know, about how some animals go through the same thing we humans do. I wouldn't have wanted to stay in an orphanage forever and I don't think it'd be fair for any of the animals here to be in a shelter longer than they have to be, even if this isn't a kill shelter. Plus my adoptive father's always been pretty big on giving back to the community and I want to do the same.”

Dezel's hands had stopped moving. He sat in silence, gaze on the bottle in front of him. Though he couldn't see the half-torn label, he knew roughly how much of it was gone. To her credit, Rose waited for him to speak, though he had the sense that she was trying to hide some degree of unease, as well. It was the barely there sound of her foot tapping the floor under the table that best gave it away.

“That's...very admirable,” he finally said after several seconds of quiet between them. “How long do you think you'll be able to donate your time, here?”

“At least until the end of the semester and through winter break. I plan on going out for track in the spring, so my time might be more limited after that. But I dunno. I might still be able to come by on weekends.”

Zaveid's words came back to Dezel then, the older student's comments about Rose possibly being a good runner or gymnast echoing in his head. Dezel finally lifted his gaze somewhat. “What events do you go out for?”

“The one hundred meter hurdle is my favorite and the one I usually compete in at meets. I've got a great short distance sprint time, too, but doing both is typically too difficult since the events are often scheduled too close together.” Rose tilted her head a bit. “Are you into keeping up with any sports at all?”

“Not really.” A pause. “Though I guess something like track might be more interesting than keeping up with a bunch of idiots chasing each other around for possession of a single ball.”

Rose laughed, the sound of it causing him to feel oddly warm. “I can't really blame you for that. I've got nothing against football or basketball or any other sport like them, but for me, it's always been about just being able to run. I like feeling the wind against my face, feeling the rush of clearing obstacles... Well, that and trying to be faster than my opponents. I've got a bit of a competitive streak.”

“I enjoy running, as well.” The words were out before Dezel could think better of it. And once they were, he couldn't help but elaborate so as not to sound like a fool. “Though I use a treadmill most of the time. Easier that way.”

“Doesn't surprise me to hear that, honestly. You do look like you're in pretty good shape.”

Cheeks suddenly feeling heated, Dezel merely nodded in response. He also began picking at the bottle label once more.

“So, um. Hey, listen,” Rose said after a moment of awkward silence. “Since there really isn't a problem between us and even though I know you've said 'no' to the offer before... Would you accept a ride home from me, today? I mean, I wouldn't ask except that it's still raining outside and I imagine Sylph could do without getting her paws muddy and half-frozen for how cold it is right now.”

“It's not that far a walk to the bus stop, and there is a shelter there.”

“Are you sure? You looked pretty damp when you got here.”

Another section of the label came off, Dezel balling it up between his fingers. He was already starting to feel foolish as it was for staying away from the shelter for two weeks, based on entirely selfish reasons. But aside from paranoia and pride, what other reasons did he have to refuse a little help? Especially when it was a ride back to the campus that would help keep Sylph from getting all muddy.

“I just don't want to owe anyone any favors,” he finally stated. “And the most I can do in a case like this is give you money for gas.”

“Even though it'd probably be barely anything to reimburse me? It's not that big of a deal, Dezel, especially since it's just one ride home.”

He said nothing, lowering his gaze again. Rose waited nearly half a minute, then apparently deciding that the situation was becoming too awkward, stood up to leave.

“Wait...” Dezel swallowed thickly as Rose halted midway in scooting the chair back in against the table again. “Alright. Just this once.”

Rose clapped her hands together happily. “Great! Did you want to leave now or wait a bit? I'm fine with hanging out a little longer if you want.”

“We can go, now.” Standing up, Dezel collected the bits of label he'd torn off and carefully walked them over to the rubbish bin to toss them out. “I just need to collect Sylph from Ms. Morgrim's office.”

“My backpack's in there, too, so that's definitely not a problem. Are you fine getting there on your own?”

“I know this building well enough to handle myself without Sylph. Just don't get underfoot.”

“Hey, now! Just because you're so damn tall doesn't give you a right to treat me like I'm tiny!” Rose shot back, though he could tell she was smirking as she spoke. 

And, despite himself, Dezel smirked a little in return as they made their way out of the break room. “You are pretty short.”

“And you're a damn grumptree!”

“A what?”

“A grumptree. That's what I'm gonna call you from now on!” Rose proclaimed as they slowly made their way toward the office with her leading the way. “All sorts of grumpy and tall as a tree!”

“Tch, maybe I don't want a ride from you, after all,” Dezel half growled back, though he continued to follow after her, regardless. The more he'd thought about it, the less eager he was to get half soaked in rain all over again. Plus he wasn't keen on cleaning up Sylph's paws upon getting back to the dorms, either. “You're a rude little bird.”

“A bird? What makes you say that?” Rose asked as she opened the office door and held it for him. 

“I'm not completely blind, you know. I can still catch glimpses of you flitting around like a little feathered fiend.”

“Ha! That's Miss Feathered Fiend to you, then, Mister Grumptree! And you better watch out! Birds perch in trees all the time, you know!” Rose retorted, grabbing up her backpack from the chair she'd left it in earlier.

Dezel paused by the desk as he picked up his hat and jacket, concern flooding his features. The thought of Rose climbing all over him was enough to make his stomach drop a few inches. The lack of response caused Rose to turn and, after a moment taken to realize what the issue might be, laugh a little. 

“Oh come on, Dezel, I'm just teasing you a little. I wouldn't really do that, you know.”

“I don't like being teased like that,” he grumbled back before calling Sylph to his side and taking hold of her harness. “My personal space isn't a joke.”

“Oh, uh. Sorry.” Rose shrugged and, to her credit, actually did sound apologetic for it. “Guess I probably should've figured...”

“Let's just get going.”

Leading the way out, Dezel headed for the lobby. Rose was quick to follow, pulling the door shut behind her.

* * *

The ride to the LU campus wasn't a particularly long one. Dezel rode in the front passenger seat while Sylph sat in the back, panting happily as she looked out one window and then the other during the drive. It had been a while since she'd been in a vehicle that wasn't a bus and, like many dogs, she enjoyed a relaxed car ride. Even a short one.

Before Rose had even started the engine, Dezel was quick to tell her where she would need to take him, not wanting to broach the possible subject of her already knowing where he lived. Most of the trip after was taken in relative silence, the only sounds Sylph's panting in back as it could be heard between tracks on one of the local radio stations, and the rain pattering against the car roof and windows. 

“So what kind of music do you like, if any?” Rose asked about halfway through the drive to the campus.

“Don't listen to much, since I need to use my ears to help me keep track of my surroundings,” Dezel replied, “but I do like varying kinds of rock. Classic, hard, symphonic. What you have on now is good.”

“Nice. You've got good taste, Dezel.”

When Rose pulled into the campus parking lot closest to the correct residence hall, choosing as close a space as she could manage, Dezel immediately set a hand on the car door handle to exit. A hand on his other arm stopped him, however, and he locked up, tense all over. The uninvited contact was almost enough to shatter his nerves and make him get out of the car in a hurry, but Rose's voice kept him in place.

“Hey, Dezel? There's something I need to tell you before you go if you don't mind.” She took her hand from his arm. “And sorry about the sudden contact. I won't do that again. I just didn't want you to open the door just yet.”

Slowly, Dezel settled back into place again, leaning back against the car seat. The hand on his backpack strap gripped the fabric a little tighter. “Yeah, what is it?”

“I'm not sure if your roommate told you this, but, um... I was actually on campus a couple weekends ago,” Rose began, causing Dezel's grip on his bag to tighten further. “A friend of mine is dating a freshman named Sergei and he lives in the same hall you do.”

“Zaveid mentioned it that night when I got back to the dorms,” was all Dezel could think to say in reply, his tone tight.

“I thought maybe he'd do that,” Rose admitted, not sounding too comfortable in trying to admit all of this, “since we did meet by chance in the common room. When I told him my name, he asked if I was putting in volunteer hours at an animal shelter and I told him, yeah, I was.”

Dezel's throat felt tight again, though a whirl of conflicting emotions locking horns in his head and chest made it difficult to tell entirely why. For a few seconds, he said nothing in return. Then, before Rose could attempt to fill the awkward silence with words of her own, he finally managed to find his tongue. “...why did you visit the dorms, Rose? Was it just to visit with Sergei?”

“I mean, yeah, partially.” Her hands twisted in her lap. He could just barely see them with his head turned just right. “My friend Alisha asked me if I wanted to go. And she did because I'd mentioned you to my friends before that and she found out from her boyfriend that you lived in the same hall, on the same floor.”

“So you've been stalking me.” Dezel's throat felt uncomfortably tight, the constriction carrying over into his accusatory tone.

“No! It's not like that! I mean, not really!” Rose insisted, turning to face him, a watery tremor in her own tone. “We had such a nice conversation before at the shelter when I helped you with Sylph. And I guess maybe I was hoping you'd be there that afternoon and it'd be an excuse to say 'hi'.”

Dezel finally turned his gaze in Rose's direction, his brow furrowed. “Why are you doing this, Rose? And be honest with me. Because I'm not some freak show you can trail after out of sheer curiosity!”

“Oh gods, no, Dezel! Jeez, it's not like that at all!”

“Then what is it like, huh? Tell me.”

“I'm not really good with putting these things into words, but...” Rose huffed out a frustrated sigh and sniffed a little. “I think you're interesting, alright? And not because of your disability. When I said it was nice talking to you in the grooming area at the shelter, I meant it. You're usually so quiet and you don't talk a whole lot, but I liked hearing you laugh a little and talk about what interests you. You're always so gruff and even a little rude at times, but I can tell you're not a bad guy. Just...just sort of closed in on yourself.”

Dezel's frown deepened and he looked away, a growl escaping him. “Tch, did you ever think that maybe there's a reason for that? That I don't want to be bothered? You're not the first person to think you can pull that crap to get closer to me.”

“Well, yeah! People always have reasons for acting the way they do! But I didn't want to pry and ask you about yours.”

“Hmph, well since we're playing fess up in the car, here's something for you,” Dezel shot back. “I wasn't ill at all. And I wasn't behind in my classwork. I told Morgrim I wouldn't be at the shelter because of you! Zaveid told me you'd been at the residence hall and that he thought you'd come looking for me, specifically. And that he thought the whole 'visiting Sergei' was just an excuse. Zaveid can be an annoying bastard, but credit where credit is due, he's not a fool. And seeing as how I don't like the idea of some high school student following me around, trying to get all buddy-buddy with me, I bailed on the shelter for two weeks!”

For several seconds, Rose said nothing. In the backseat, Sylph whimpered softly, uncomfortable with all the shouting. Dezel growled and reached for the door handle again.

“...you really are a mean bastard.” Facing forward, Rose slumped back into her seat, arms folded tightly across her chest. Her voice trembled, her emotions barely contained. “I screwed up, I know that. And I'm sorry. But I don't think I've ever met anyone who's been such a damn asshole about other people just wanting to be friends. So just get out of my car already. And don't worry about ever seeing me at the shelter again because I'm going to quit. If me being there is going to keep you from helping those animals, I shouldn't be there.”

Wordlessly, Dezel exited the car and shut the door behind him before slinging his backpack on. After locating the handle on the back passenger side door on the side, he let Sylph out, the dog whining as she immediately got up against him, ignoring the lightly falling rain. No sooner had the two of them got up onto the curb then Rose backed her car out, pulling out a little quicker than was safe before driving for the parking lot exit. 

Dezel stood in the rain until the sound of the engine died away and his limited vision lost track of the red of Rose's vehicle. He supposed he should've felt some degree of satisfaction. He had, after all, managed to chase a potentially bothersome person away. Someone who routinely made him feel discomfort that he didn't often understand. But at what cost, exactly? If Rose did quit her volunteer position, that was one less individual to help around Maws and Paws, even if only once or twice a week.

Additionally, if this was really the outcome Dezel wanted for himself, why did his chest hurt so damn much? Why were guilt and regret flooding in so quickly?

“Come on, Sylph,” he finally said as he turned them both toward the nearby building. “Forward. Let's get out of the rain.”

* * *

“You're an asshole. An absolute fucking asshole, you know that? What the hell, Dezel. Seriously. What is wrong with you?”

“Shut up, Zaveid. Learn to mind your own damn business.”

“Hey, don't you dare roll over and ignore me you bastard! I'm talking to you!”

Dezel growled and tugged his pillow over his head, determined to shut out the angry accusations of his roommate. Behind him, Zaveid stood alongside his bed, arms folded over his chest, glaring down at his back. Dezel could feel the older student's eyes on him, practically boring holes into him. Yet he refused to relent, stubbornly facing the wall. Telling Zaveid what happened that afternoon was a mistake. Gods, why had he done that?

“I told you not to break that girl's heart!” Zaveid went on, completely undeterred in his righteous rage. “It's one thing for you to yell at me or even at Lailah or Edna. We're all older than you and we can take your bullshit. But how dare you yell at some high schooler who just wanted to be friends? What the fuck, Dezel?”

“Was I supposed to be happy about her snooping around enough to find out where I live and then showing up here?”

“Man, really? All she did was mention you to her friends and one thing led to another. It was just a coincidence that someone she knows is dating someone who rooms here, and it's not like she came up here to break into our room and rifle through your stuff!”

“I'm allowed to want and have my privacy, Zaveid.”

“No one's saying you can't have that, Dezel. And yeah, maybe coming up here wasn't the smartest thing Rose could've done, but it wasn't malicious or all that weird. She's still in high school, okay? Probably just out of the gate on turning eighteen. College students are known for doing some seriously dumb ass stuff, so it's not like a high schooler is gonna make even better choices,” Zaveid said, giving Dezel's shoulder a hard shove before finally walking back to his side of their shared space and gathering up his jacket and wallet. “Anyway, the two of you are being ridiculous about all of this. Just talk it out already and agree not to talk to each other at the shelter if it's going to be this big of a deal.”

“She already said she was quitting,” Dezel grumbled, the words barely audible from beneath the pillow half over his head. “So there's no point.”

“There's a point if you don't actually want her to quit, even if it's just because it'll leave the place down a volunteer.”

Dezel said nothing in response, instead opting to just lay on his bed, listening as Zaveid finished getting ready to go out. When the jingle of room keys became audible, Dezel finally pulled the pillow off and half glanced over one shoulder. “Where are you going?”

“Out with Edna and Eizen. He's taking us to some new fast food place in town. Been a while since the three of us hung out and we've got plans to make for winter break.” Set to go, Zaveid headed for the door.

“On a weeknight?”

“Edna and I don't have class first thing tomorrow and no assignments due immediately, so yeah. On a weeknight. Figure you'd want some time to think about the crap you've landed yourself in without being disturbed, anyway.”

Then Zaveid was gone, shutting the door behind him with a soft click. Out in the hallway, Edna's muffled voice was audible before it faded away as she and Zaveid walked toward the elevator.

For several minutes, Dezel lay on his side, facing the wall, trying without success to tamp down the mix of emotions that swirled between his head and chest. He argued with himself, not wanting to admit that Zaveid was right about anything, yet feeling strangely conflicted. All these people, constantly trying to pry into his life and his issues, acting like having friends was going to be some sort of magic fix. In Dezel's opinion, it was all just a set up for more pain he couldn't afford.

Finally, about a half-hour into his mope session, Dezel got up and walked with Sylph down to the kitchen area to make some tea. Something to ease his nerves was in order and, as he couldn't bear the thought of just microwaving water in a mug, set about making tea the correct way with a kettle. As he leaned back against the counter near the stovetop to wait for the water to boil, arms folded across his chest, he caught sight of Lailah approaching out of the corner of one eye and sighed heavily. Hopefully, she wouldn't attempt to engage him in conversation.

“Hello, Dezel. I was just coming out here to make some tea for myself, as well. I hope you don't mind if I make use of some of your hot water when it's ready?”

Well, so much for that hope. Dezel shook his head once. “Once I've made my tea, feel free to help yourself.”

“Thank you.” Turning away, Lailah hunted about in the cabinets over the counter for a mug or teacup that she had likely left in there. Finding what she was looking for, she took the mug down and rinsed it out in the nearby sink with a little soap and warm water to be sure it was clean. “Have you been alright?”

“Fine, not that it's anyone else's business,” Dezel muttered. 

Lailah hummed quietly in response but as usual, was not so easily deterred. “Have you made any plans for winter break, yet? I know it's still a few weeks away, but I know Edna, Zaveid, and Eizen are considering a trip back to Marlind.”

“No. Just going to stay here for it.” Gods, he really didn't want to talk about returning to Marlind. Not yet.

The kettle whistled and Dezel turned his attention to it, taking it from the burner and turning off the heat. Once he had a cup of green tea ready, he moved aside so that Lailah could use some of the remaining hot water for herself.

“I'll need to spend most of the break here, myself since I am a Resident Assistant, but I do think I will take Edna's invitation to join the others in Marlind for a few days,” Lailah went on. “If you want to join me, I would be glad to have you along.”

“I don't.” Dezel located Sylph's harness and turned away to go back to his dorm room, mug in his other hand. “I just don't want to go back there at all, Lailah. You should know why.”

“I do, but...” She sighed softly. “I just thought it would be nice to extend the invitation to you. The dorms will be quiet empty for most of the break, after all.”

“Empty and quiet,” Dezel agreed without a glance back. “As I like it.”

More than happy to leave that uncomfortable situation behind, Dezel returned to his room, only to feel his phone buzz with a text message. Once the door was shut and he was seated with his mug set aside, he checked it, allowing the text to be read to him. It was from Edna. Perhaps giving her his number hadn't been the greatest idea, but he also hadn't wanted to be smacked in the shins with an umbrella, either.

_“Zaveid says you made that girl want to quit at the shelter,”_ the stilted synthesized voice read aloud. _“Maybe it's none of my business, but somehow I doubt your uncle would approve.”_

Dezel felt a rush of rage, nearly giving in to the urge to throw his phone against the wall. But what good would it do? He'd end up with a shattered phone screen he couldn't really afford to repair at the moment. Instead, he merely threw the device down on his bed and sat down heavily beside it.

How dare that bossy little pixie mention his uncle in the middle of this whole mess? Who the hell did she think she was, trying to guilt-trip him like this? She'd never even known his family personally. She, just like some of the other students from the Marlind and Rayfalke area, only knew what had happened because they kept up with the news reports from their home town.

Picking up his phone, Dezel sent a text message back. _“You're right. It is none of your business.”_

A couple of minutes passed. A return text appeared. _“Zaveid says you're a coward and for once I agree with him. Do better.”_

Dezel ground his teeth, growling out a few choice curse words before responding. _“Stop using me and my business as fodder for your dinner conversation!”_

A reply came back a minute later. _“Is it really only your business if I can hear you and Zaveid arguing through the wall all the time? I'll be the last person to argue with you on the idea that most people are annoying and stupid, but even I know it sucks to be alone.”_

_“Being alone means it's quiet. That's how I like it.”_

_“Funny. With all the noise you make, I wouldn't have guessed.”_

_“Is there a damn point to this? Nothing you say will change my mind on anything.”_

_“Really? If this is how you are going to regularly treat other people, you're going to be a terrible teacher,”_ came the reply from Edna. 

Dezel sat with his phone in his left hand, teeth gritted. The temptation to throw it again was welling up quickly. Mostly because, deep down, he knew his dorm neighbor wasn't wrong. 

His phone buzzed again. Another text from Edna. _“No one is telling you to get over your problems right now. We're just telling you not to be an insufferable ass.”_

_“I never wanted any of this bullshit,”_ he texted back, starting to feel his rage deflate. He was too damn tired for all of this.

_“Life is full of bullshit no one wants. Just don't take your issues out on other people.”_

_“So what do you expect me to do? Likely I'll never meet up with that girl again.”_

_“Sergei is dating one of her friends. You figure it out.”_

As the last message finished playing, Dezel tossed his phone aside onto the bed again and drew his knees up to his chest. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew that his dormmates were right every time they brought his uncle into the conversation. Lafarga wouldn't approve of his nephew's behavior right now. Not in the least. And it hurt to think that would truly be the case.

Pain on top of more pain, really. It seemed never-ending.

“I don't know what to do, Sylph,” Dezel murmured, his voice carrying a slight tremor. “It was hard enough coming this far and I just want to be left alone. But Edna and the others are right. What's the point of being here if all my damn problems ruin my chances at having a career after college? Uncle Lafarga really would have my hide for all this...”

Standing up from her place on the floor, Sylph jumped up onto the bed and lay down beside her owner. Dezel rested a hand on her head, seeking comfort in the way the soft fur around her ears felt under his fingers.

“I'm just tired of hurting. And I don't want to hurt this badly ever again.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose works through her frustration and disappointment after her falling out with Dezel. But maybe the situation isn't as much of a lost cause as she thinks...

Rose flopped down onto her bed, burying her face in her one of her pillows. The drive home had not been a pleasant one, her head so full of negative thoughts and her chest heavy with enough frustration and anger to put her at risk for driving with road rage. She'd needed to take several calming breaths, turn the radio up a notch and remind herself that if she got into a wreck somehow, she'd damage her eighteenth birthday present and drive Brad's car insurance premium costs through the roof.

She wasn't sure whether or not it was a good thing that her adoptive father wasn't home, yet. Brad often worked rather late, not showing up until sometime after seven in the evening. Thankfully, however, it was a night they'd planned to have a take-out dinner, so he'd show up with food from somewhere once he did get home and they'd be able to eat right away and have little to clean up in the way of dishes. Rose didn't want to have to hang around helping with after-meal clean up on top of faking a smile through dinner.

As Rose rolled enough onto one side to face her window, gaze lingering on the way the late afternoon sun caught the light-colored chiffon-like material of the curtains, she felt the weight in her chest grow heavier. Her eyes stung and before she could stop them, a few tears slipped free and slid down her cheeks to be soaked up by her pillowcase. Curling up, Rose clutched at the quilt underneath her and angrily allowed herself to cry quietly for a minute, frustrated with herself, with Dezel and with her inability to hold her emotions in check. Why was she wasting tears over such a bullheaded idiot, anyway? It wasn't like they were dating. Hell, it wasn't like they were even friends.

Maybe it was because the whole situation made Rose feel like a quitter. Dezel might have been awful, but she wasn't about to be terrible to him in return and make him feel uncomfortable at the shelter with her presence. Not when he had volunteered there first and working with the animals there clearly meant so much to him. It was better that Rose be the one to leave, yet that would mean going back on her word to Ms. Morgrim to stay on until winter break was over at the very least. 

Wiping her eyes on the back of one hand as she sat up, Rose pulled out her phone and gazed at it through reddened eyes. A few taps were all it took to bring up the Maws and Paws contact number, yet she found she couldn't bring herself to call it just yet. She wasn't due in again until the end of the school week, as per the agreement with Ms. Morgrim. Every week would be a bit different depending on Rose's school workload, they'd decided, but the last day of the week was to be the constant day.

Tomorrow afternoon would be the best time to call, Rose figured. It would give her time to sort the situation in her head and figure out exactly what to say, as whether or not to be truthful about everything was almost another issue in and of itself. After all, there was no point in Rose leaving her volunteer position if Dezel got in trouble for it and ended up being forced out himself.

At that moment, a text message containing an attachment came through from Sorey (and probably Mikleo as well, by default). Rose opened it to find a photo of Gramps' new cat, "Mason 2.0", dressed in a fancy Shepherd's mantle. The message with it read: _'check out the cape we got for gramps' cat for the winter holiday! isn't he cute?'_

Rose rolled her eyes and couldn't help but smile. Leave it to the nerdy duo to find a way to cheer her up a bit, even if they didn't know she needed it. 

_'lol cute! now he looks as nerdy as you and mikleo act!'_ Rose ended the message with a laughing emoji and a sparkling heart.

It was then the thought occurred to her that if she didn't want to discuss what happened that day with Brad, she could always text or call one or more of her friends about it. Hell, she might have to let them in on it once they discovered that she quit volunteering at the shelter. And even though Rose had never really gone to them before to cry over breakups or lost friendships and she wasn't about to start now, she supposed venting would be something else.

Regardless of whether Rose decided to bring everything up with anyone else, however, she had some school work and a few chores to work on before Brad got home. Best to get that done before she lost any more time on emotions she couldn't even fully sort out.

* * *

“And then I told him to get out of my car and that I'd be quitting at the shelter.” Rose prodded at her salad with her fork, not bothering to glance up at either Sorey or Mikleo where they sat across the table with their half-eaten lunches. “I know I screwed up and all, but I feel like he wasn't being too great about things, either. I just don't know what his deal is and I guess I'll never know.”

“Did he say anything before he got out?” Sorey asked, concern painting his features. 

“No. Nothing.” Rose finally stopped toying with a piece of grilled chicken and stabbed it before shoving it into her mouth and talking around it while she chewed. “He didn't even bother to look my way. Just got his dog out of the back seat and stood there while I drove off.”

“I don't know, Rose. You might have dodged a bullet on this one,” Mikleo sighed, trying to ignore his friend's usual lack of table manners. “He sounds like he wants to be left alone for whatever reason. Might as well leave him be.”

“Yeah. I guess.” Rose shoved another forkful of salad into her mouth.

Mikleo frowned. “What made you so interested in him, anyway? I mean, you mentioned you were curious about him weeks ago, as to whether he attended school here or not. But was there something else?”

“I dunno. He just seemed so stand-offish and maybe even a little lonely. Like I keep thinking back to this one time where we met in the shelter break room by chance after a cat scratched my hand and he wanted to talk to me about why the cat did that. Said 'I just wanted to talk to you about cats' when I got snippy with him about it. Which is kind of weird because you'd think there would be plenty of other people there to talk to about the animals, but then it was like he was a different person once I sat down and started listening to him.”

Sorey, who had been eating his sandwich quietly while listening to the other two, suddenly perked up a bit. “Maybe it's because stuff like that is information the rest of the volunteers there already know? Talking to them about it would be pointless. So maybe he just enjoyed teaching you something new?”

“He didn't act like a know-it-all about it, did he?” Mikleo asked when Rose didn't respond right away.

“No, not really,” Rose said after a thoughtful moment, finally looking up at the pair of them. “More like he was just a fountain of information and he was just happy not to hold back. Sort of like you two when some bit of history info gets you talking. Except that it was a lot shorter-lived. Like once he'd said what he needed to say, he sort of curled back up in his shell again.”

“Sounds like you just saw someone who needed some company and maybe a friend, even though it also sounds like he's trying to keep people at arm's length for some reason,” Sorey surmised.

“And whatever that reason, you can't help him unless he wants to be helped,” Mikleo added wisely. “I hate to say it, but you're probably going to have to let this one go. Trying to fix things may make everything worse.”

“Pfft, don't worry. I'm not going to be taking any more trips to the campus unless I have to and I'm definitely not going back to that particular residence hall again,” Rose reassured them both before digging into her food with some added gusto. Lunch would be over in about five minutes. “Plus, like I said, I'm quitting at the shelter. I'm going to call Ms. Morgrim tomorrow after school to let her know.”

“Any reason you're not calling today?” Mikleo asked before turning half his attention to finishing the last of his lunch.

“Yeah. I'm still trying to decide what reason to give for not going back,” Rose replied between mouthfuls of salad. “Gonna be pointless for me to quit if what I tell Ms. Morgrim gets Dezel in trouble.”

Sorey hurriedly finished off his sandwich, making sure to swallow before trying to talk again. “You could always just tell her that your dad needs help with the family business since you do help him out with stuff sometimes, anyway.”

“And maybe donate a few bags of pet food or cat litter to help make nice when you leave,” Mikleo suggested. “If there are any hard feelings, that may help to smoothe things over.”

“Yeah, that's true.” Rose glanced up as the bell rang, then stuffed the last remaining bite of salad into her mouth before getting her side of the table cleaned up. “Anyway, sorry to take up like half of lunch period griping about this, guys. But thanks for listening. And for helping out.”

“No problem, Rose,” Sorey assured her as he and Mikleo got their belongings together and cleared off their side of the table. “Just remember you can always call us after school if anything else comes up and don't let this get you down too much.”

Mikleo nodded. “Sorey's right. That guy's loss if he didn't want you as a friend.”

As the three of them parted ways for fifth period class, Rose couldn't help but smile a little. Sorey could be kind of a ridiculous nerd sometimes and Mikleo was almost too pragmatic at points, but they were both friends she could count on and was happy to have.

* * *

The school day came to a close and Rose didn't waste much time in leaving campus after a quick stop at her locker. Though it was still early in the week, it already felt like it was stretching out far too much, exerting a weariness on Rose's shoulders that made it feel like it should have at least been half over by then. Today was a workout day, however, and Rose planned on getting in a couple of miles worth of jogging after getting home. Hopefully, the endorphin release would help put her in a better mindset to work on homework later in the evening.

She'd barely reached her car, however, when she heard someone calling her name. Turning at the sound of the familiar voice, Rose noticed Alisha running after her, pink and white backpack bouncing against her back and shoulders.

“Alisha? Hey! Is everything alright?” Rose couldn't quite keep the concern out of her voice and expression as the other girl caught up with her and took a moment to catch her breath before speaking.

“Yes! I think so,” Alisha replied, immediately digging in her purse for something. “I was just worried I would not be able to catch you before you left.”

Rose blinked in mild confusion. “Oh, why's that?”

“Sergei texted me during sixth period, but of course I couldn't read his message until class ended,” Alisha explained, finding her phone and pulling it out. The school had very strict rules about the usage of phones during classes and while some students would risk peeking at texts or emails in the middle of a lecture, it didn't surprise Rose that Alisha was not one of those sorts. “Here. I thought it best to show you what he sent.”

“You know, you could've just forwarded the message to me or screen-capped it or-”

Rose stopped short as she glanced over the text, then read it again to be sure she was seeing it correctly.

_'Dezel sought me out today and asked if I could contact you about Rose. He wishes to speak with her.'_

Rose felt her heart attempt to leap into her throat. She quickly tried to swallow it back down. “Wait, he's serious? I know you're behind on current events, but I had kind of a falling out with the guy. Like an 'I'm quitting at the shelter to stay out of his way' kind of falling out.”

Alisha frowned as she lowered her phone. “Was it truly that serious?”

“I...I don't know. It was kind of stupid and just... I don't know. He found out I went with you to visit Sergei and was upset about it.”

“Oh... Oh dear.” Alisha's expression faltered, rapidly changing from serious to apologetic. “And that was my idea in the first place. This is my fault.”

“No! No, it's not.” Rose gripped her friend's shoulder in what she hoped was a reassuring way. “You suggested it, but I didn't have to take you up on it. Plus I think I kind of blew it when I was talking to Dezel's roommate. This is more on me than anyone else.”

Alisha nodded once, though her frown remained fixed in place. “So what will you do about this, then? I don't mind sending a message back to Sergei for you at all.”

Taking her hand back, Rose frowned in thought, herself. It was entirely possible that Dezel had a change of heart over the last twenty-four hours and meant to issue an apology. Then again, it could also be him wanting to tell her that he'd had her banned from that particular residence hall. One last kick in the shins as he shoved her out of his life for good.

Rose wasn't sure how well she'd handle the situation, should it turn out to be the latter. But what if it was the former? The never-say-die part of her couldn't quite let go of that hope, despite how small it might be. She had called him a mean bastard, sure, but she wasn't entirely sure she believed her own words. Without a doubt, Dezel was defensive and guarded, but a truly mean person wouldn't spend so much time rehabilitating abused animals.

“Text your beau back for me,” Rose finally said. “And send him my number. If Dezel really does want to talk, he can contact me.”

Alisha nodded and began to text Sergei back, taking only a moment to tap out a message before tagging Rose's number on the end of it and hitting send. When she was through, it only took a handful of seconds for a reply to come back in the affirmative.

“He says he will handle it.” Alisha offered Rose a reassuring smile and slid her phone back into her purse. “I hope all this goes well for you both.”

“Well, guess we'll see.” Opening the front passenger side door of her car, Rose tossed her bag into the seat. “But either way, thanks, Alisha. And tell Sergei thanks for me, too.”

“Text me after you two talk? I just want to make sure everything will be alright.”

“Will do. Or if the jerk chickens out and I don't hear from him, I'll text you before bed to let you know.”

After Alisha left, walking to her vehicle some distance away, Rose turned to eye her backpack where it sat in the car seat. Knowing her phone was stashed inside it, she moved it to the backseat, instead. The temptation to check her phone if a message alert went off while driving home might be too much to resist. 

Rose then got in on the driver's side and pulled out to head home. She'd need to take her phone with her on her run since she had no intention of skipping out on her exercise session. And keep it with her at the dinner table, even if on silent and despite her father's rule about no extended phone usage during meals unless it was business-related or an emergency. And keep it within reach while she was doing homework later on in the night.

Gods, it was almost like she was waiting on a reply for a date.

* * *

Except for a couple of texts from both Sorey and Mikleo to check up on her right before dinner, Rose's phone remained silent that evening. She sat through dinner with it hidden in her pocket, its alerts set to silent and vibrate only. She refrained from mentioning anything about Dezel or her volunteer work while at the table, letting Brad guide the conversation in the direction of school instead and talk about how family friends who worked for their business were doing as the winter holiday approached.

When dinner ended, Rose assisted with clean up as usual and then excused herself to her room to get on top of some statistics homework. Her concentration was fragmented at best, however, and she mentally berated herself for letting some jerk she only sort of knew effect her so damn much. Why did she care so much, anyway? It felt like every explanation she gave thus far didn't quite cover all the bases. After all, it wasn't like she and Dezel were dating. For as much as he claimed not to want her around, the very idea of them going out was preposterous.

And yet... Rose felt a strange longing whenever she thought about him. And it was far too similar to how she'd felt about others she'd dated in the past.

It was exactly 9:04 pm when her phone buzzed. Rose grabbed it up immediately, half worried that it was just one of her friends checking up on her again and that disappointment awaited her.

But it did not.

The text was from an unknown number. 

_'Rose. It's Dezel. I just wanted to say I'm sorry about yesterday. And that I don't want you to quit at the shelter.'_

Rose's hands trembled a bit as she held her phone. Suddenly feeling the need to be more comfortable, she quickly moved to the bed while she tried to formulate a response. Some part of her wanted to call him out on his bad behavior, but he had just apologized. He knew he messed up. Plus it wasn't like she was blameless, either.

_'I admit I screwed up, too, and I shouldn't have called you a mean bastard. But you're sure about me staying on at the shelter? You were there first and I don't want you to feel like you can't work there because of me.'_

As she tapped out her message, Rose was careful to keep it as clear as possible. It was likely Dezel was using a text-to-audio translation function on his phone.

A couple of minutes passed as Rose waited for a response. She rapidly scrolled through one of her social media timelines to wait the reply time out. When her phone buzzed again, she almost breathed out an actual sigh of relief.

_'If you can understand that I often need space to myself, there shouldn't be a problem. But I meant what I said about your dedication being admirable. I don't want you to turn back on it.'_

Rose bit her lip, a little disappointed that Dezel was once again thinking more of the animals than anything else, though perhaps that couldn't be helped. She fired off another reply.

_'If you're totally sure. I'm sorry if I come off as being too much. Guess I'm used to my friends knowing how to handle my enthusiasm and curiosity better.'_

Again, a return text took a couple of minutes. Rose began to wonder if he was struggling with wording or if she had somehow said something wrong. Fortunately, the latter was apparently not the case.

_'I would be lying if I said most people aren't more than I can usually handle.'_

She smiled a little and decided to give him a minute to breathe before she replied.

_'You really do get along with animals better, don't you? Nothing wrong with that, I guess. And we don't have to be friends if you don't want that. We can just be fellow volunteers who say hello to each other once in a while.'_

This time it took longer to hear back. Roughly ten minutes or so and long enough that Rose was starting to wonder if something had either stolen Dezel's attention or if she'd scared him off somehow. But then, to her relief, another text came through.

_'Rose, I do like you...but I'm scared.'_

Rose's gaze lingered on that last word, the sight of it bringing both confusion and a dull ache in her chest.

_'Why? Does something about me bother you? You can tell me if it does. I won't get mad.'_

_'No. It's me, not you. I don't want to explain it over texts.'_

_'Do you want to talk about it when we're both at the shelter?'_

_'No.'_

The single word reply felt final in a disappointing way. Rose looked down at it for a long moment, trying to decide how to reply when Dezel texted again.

_'I want to take you out for lunch this weekend to make everything up to you. Is that okay?'_

Rose blinked. That was not at all what she expected to see next. She quickly tapped out a response before he could change his mind.

_'Yeah, that's fine. Did you have somewhere in mind?'_

_'Your choice. Just don't break the bank with me. I am still a college student. But think about it and let me know when you see me next.'_

_'Okay. And I promise I won't bother you with texts again between now and then unless it's super important.'_

_'I'd appreciate that.'_

_'See you at the shelter in a few days, then.'_

_'Yes. See you then.'_

At that point, Rose figured it might be best to stop there. Texting him further that night might annoy him or scare him off again. As it was, she could barely believe how the situation had turned around in just a little over a day. Had one of his dormmates learned what happened and got on him about it? Or had he simply experienced a change of heart on his own?

Rose scrolled back up to one of Dezel's earlier texts and looked at it again. _'I like you...but I'm scared.'_ She bit her lower lip, feeling that dull ache well up in her chest again. Possible he was lying to garner sympathy, but somehow Rose doubted that was the case. Call it a gut feeling, perhaps, and with her, those sorts of feelings were rarely wrong.

Either way, she suddenly realized, she had something akin to a date for the weekend. Even if it was just a platonic, casual, make-up lunch date.

She had to tell someone. Immediately.

Thank everything Alisha had wanted her to text as soon as the conversation with Dezel ended, so Rose did exactly that. At some point, the rest of her homework would get done that night. 

At some point.

* * *

The next volunteer day took forever to arrive. Rose was, for reasons she could not entirely explain, a bundle of energy by the time she arrived at Maws and Paws that afternoon. Sure, she knew part of it was due to the excitement of getting to go on a lunch date of sorts the following day and her deep interest in other people was as good a reason as any to be worked up. But there was something else in play, something Rose wasn't sure she wanted to address and that didn't quite make sense to her, yet.

Unfortunately, one of the newest volunteers brought in to handle the cat room cleaning for that afternoon had flaked on them, so instead of working in the secluded special case kennel area, Rose ended up back on cat box and bowl cleaning duty. Not that she minded. It was just that she'd noticed Sylph in Ms. Morgrim's office as per usual and guessed that her keeper was working with one or more of the shy dogs that day. And even if Dezel didn't want to be talked to while he was working, for some reason Rose just wanted to see him. And for him to know that she was there.

Patience rewarded Rose by the time she finished up and was preparing to leave, however. After washing her hands, Rose returned to the office to retrieve her backpack with intent to seek Dezel out after, only to find him waiting for her there with his dog at his side, seated in the spare chair.

“Oh, hey.” It was hard for Rose to keep the note of surprise from her voice as she entered and let the door shut behind her. “I thought for sure you were still in the side kennel area.”

“I spent about three hours there today. Figured this would be the best place to wait for you after, as one of the other volunteers mentioned you were here today, just working in the cat room, instead,” Dezel replied, his tone more matter-of-fact than anything.

Granted, Rose hadn't quite been sure what she expected of him, but a dry, barely conversational tone wasn't it. Why was he so difficult to understand? 

“Well, you guessed right.” Leaving her bag where it was on the floor by the desk for the moment, Rose knelt by Sylph. “Can I pet your dog?”

“Mmn.” The sound of acknowledgment came with a nod.

Rose smiled and set a hand on Sylph's head, petting her gently between the ears and earning one of those cute dog grins. Those were something Rose was slowly learning to appreciate the more time she spent working with canines. 

“Um, so hey,” Rose said after a few moments of silence, rather eager to get to the point. “About tomorrow...”

“I'm sorry.”

Rose glanced up, not having expected that after hopefully trailing off, wanting him to ask her about the place she'd picked for lunch. “Sorry? Are you... Wait, what are you apologizing for? Can you not make it to lunch tomorrow or something?”

“No, I... Just wanted to start with that. Before we discussed anything.” Dezel glanced away briefly, everything about him suddenly screaming awkwardness. He folded his arms across his chest, a few twitching motions of his hands a fair indicator that he wasn't sure what else to do with them. “I know I apologized when I texted you, but... Texts feel...”

“Impersonal?” Rose filled in as he trailed off in uncertainty. “Lacking somehow?”

“Something like that, maybe.”

“Well, message received. I mean, you are taking me to lunch tomorrow, after all.”

He turned his head toward her again. “Do you know where you want to go?”

“I think so.” Rose ran her hand down Sylph's back, getting her to roll onto her side and thump her tail against the floor. “There's a Sparrowfeathers Market not too far from the LU campus. I figured we could eat in the little sandwich shop located inside it since it's close and not too expensive.”

“They do have good food for not a lot of gald. I used to get take out from the Sparrowfeather Market in Marlind when I lived there.”

“So you're good with that choice, then? Do you want me to pick you up or...?”

“I can take the bus. Is one in the afternoon fine with you?”

“Sure. Wanting to miss the lunch crowd?”

“Always.” Dezel stood up and Sylph immediately rolled back over and got to her feet as well, startling Rose a little. “Sylph?”

Realizing that her lunch date was ready to leave, Rose gained her feet and let Sylph pass her by to reach Dezel. Picking up her bag, she shouldered it in preparation to follow the pair out.

“Guess we can talk more tomorrow,” she guessed. “Since it'd probably be rude to keep taking up space in Ms. Morgrim's office.”

Dezel nodded and led the way out. Rose followed in his wake, trotting along behind owner and dog until they exited the building.

“Hey, Dezel...?”

“Yeah?” He paused near the edge of the sidewalk, head turned toward her in question.

“I never actually apologized myself the other night. I mean, I know I did for going to the residence hall that one day, but for what I called you. I'm sorry about that. And I know we can talk more about it tomorrow if you're okay with that, but I just wanted to say I've had time to think it over and I've realized there's so much I don't know about you, and that I shouldn't make assumptions,” Rose replied, trying not to stumble over her words. Usually speaking her mind wasn't quite so difficult, so why was this so hard? “I don't think anyone who cares about animals as much as you do is a mean bastard.”

Dezel made a sound in response, something like a barely-there, dry chuckle in a self-deprecating sort of way. “I've been called worse. A 'fucking asshole' for example. Which Zaveid called me the night we had that argument. Not that I didn't deserve it. Or being called a mean bastard.”

“You two had an argument over me?”

“More like over my bullheaded nature. I know I'm a difficult person to get along with, and Zaveid and the others at the dorms put up with a lot of my crap. But we can talk about my shitty behavior tomorrow. For now, I need to get to the bus stop before I miss the next bus.”

“Alright. I'll see you early tomorrow afternoon, then.”

Rose watched as Dezel crossed the parking lot with Sylph's assistance, letting out a long breath as though she'd been holding it in the entire time they'd been talking. She couldn't be sure how she knew, but she had a gut feeling that everything between her and Dezel was going to be fine. It was just too bad she didn't have Zaveid's number, as well. She would have liked to thank him for his help. As well as yell at him for being so nosy about all this, even if in what she would've liked to have thought was still an appreciative manner.

But maybe since her lunch date with Dezel was happening at a Sparrowfeathers Market, perhaps she could pick up a few goodies for Dezel's dormmates while they were there tomorrow. And if she could talk Dezel into accepting a ride back to the campus, maybe she could offer said goodies to Zaveid and the others, herself. Or at least leave them there with a note to thank them for caring about their difficult friend. Maybe it was a bit too much planning based on assumptions of what may or may not be alright with Dezel, but the thoughts made Rose happy as she made her way to her car.

What would be good, anyway? A fair-sized sheet cake? A large container of cupcakes? Cookies? Or perhaps a dozen mabo curry buns, which were a Sparrowfeather Market specialty? Likely whatever she chose, though, it would be appreciated. College students were rarely the sort to turn their noses up at free food. 

As Rose pulled out of the parking lot, she couldn't help but look toward the bus stop. Dezel was there, sitting on one of the two benches with Sylph at his side, her harness in his right hand as always. She realized then that she would be a bundle of nervous excitement until they met again for lunch the next day. Gods, what should she even wear? The thought made her laugh, given it was likely her “date” would turn up in his usual tee-shirt, jeans and jacket combination. But that didn't mean she couldn't look nice for the occasion, even if he wouldn't be able to tell all that well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Though I finished editing this chapter alongside the last one, I originally intended to wait at least a week before updating again. You can see how well that worked out, however! I suppose after how chapter 7 concluded, I couldn't bear to leave anyone hanging with that downer ending for too long. Hope everyone is enjoying how the story is progressing!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dezel and Rose meet up for their lunch not-date and a much needed conversation finally occurs.

Dezel sat at a small table in The Nest, the sandwich shop located inside the Sparrowfeather Market nearest the LU campus. A cozy cafe-style delicatessen that was tastefully designed with red brick walls, natural wood furniture, and a hardwood floor, The Nest boasted only a dozen tables, a few of which were booths while others were free-standing. The food was reasonably priced for its venue and though it took longer to be ready for pick up than your average fast-food restaurant, it was usually a cut above. Soaking up the sunlight provided warmth as it filtered in through the nearby large panel window, Dezel breathed in the scents of freshly baked bread and cookies while he waited for Rose to arrive.

“Time?” he asked, pulling his phone from one jacket pocket.

“Twelve fifty-seven P.M.,” the app's synthesized voice replied, easily audible over the four other people sitting in pairs at other tables as they ate and talked.

Dezel had arrived at the very tail end of the lunch rush, easily locating a table off to one side where he could sit with Sylph at his feet. A member of the staff had greeted him from behind the counter, only to be answered with a single nod. Ten minutes had since passed, each one leaving Dezel a bit more nervous than the last.

Perhaps inviting Rose to lunch as apology had not been the best idea. If he was honest with himself, Dezel was not entirely sure why he had thought it necessary to do so. He had apologized after all, and that apology had been accepted without hesitation. Granted, Dezel knew why he had decided on food as an option, as he had never been the best with choosing gifts or, in this case, peace offerings. Food was easy and mutually beneficial but, in hindsight, it also meant being in public and holding a conversation with someone else.

In this case, someone who made him uncomfortable in a way he failed to understand entirely. 

Dezel knew that he liked Rose, but he had not been lying in his text-based admission to her a few days prior. Despite the stoic, even grumpy demeanor he managed to maintain in her presence, she scared him. She made him feel things he was not sure he wanted to feel.

Sylph perked up by Dezel's feet. He could feel her sit up on her haunches, lifting her head from where she'd rested it across his near boot. As he glanced down at his companion in a way that would let him catch her in his peripheral vision, he noticed a familiar swatch of auburn up and further out, accompanied by black and pink and deep red.

“Hey, Dezel!”

The sound of her voice caused his heart to skip a beat, yet he was careful to keep his expression placid as he nodded in greeting. “Hey, Rose.”

“And here I thought I was going to beat you here by arriving a couple of minutes early,” she said, smile in her voice as she stopped by the table. “Have you ordered anything yet?”

“No. I wanted to wait for you.” Pushing his chair back, Dezel stood up and found Sylph's harness. 

“Well, aren't you a proper gentleman!”

Though he couldn't see it, Dezel had the distinct impression Rose winked at him. Heat crept into his cheeks. “You'd be the first to think so. Are you ready to order?”

“Sure! I guess I'll go first.”

“Given this is my treat, yeah. You can go ahead of me. I need a Braille menu, anyway.”

As they stepped up to the counter, a young man who had just brought out a tray of fresh cookies to slide into large pastry display greeted them, though not in a way Dezel had expected. “Hello, Rose! How've you been? Did you want the usual today?”

“Doing alright, thanks! And yeah, that sounds good. I'd like fries on the side instead of coleslaw, though,” Rose replied cheerfully before turning to Dezel. “And my friend here will be picking up the bill after he orders. Can he get a Braille menu, please?”

“Sure thing!” The young man retrieved a single sheet menu from a shelf below one of the registers and passed it across the counter to Dezel as he held his free hand out for it. “Just let me know when you're ready, sir.”

“Right. Thanks.” Letting go of Sylph's lead, Dezel ran his hand over the menu, examining his options. “So someone knows you here. You come here often?”

“Yeah, you could say that,” Rose said as she waited for him to choose his entree, hands clasped behind her back while she rocked to and fro on her toes and heels. “The whole staff here knows me. Same with my dad.”

“Mn.” Dezel's fingers paused over the sandwich end of the menu, soup and salad not appealing to him at the moment. He glanced up to better direct his next words to the young man who was helping them. “Alright. I think I'm ready to order.”

Once both orders were in, Rose scooted off with both drink cups in hand so she could fill them at the tea and soda counter while Dezel paid for their food. As the full order and total were read to him, however, Dezel's eyebrows arched in confusion.

“What? You're sure that's right?” He quickly added the numbers up in his head. “Seems too low.”

“No, it's correct, sir,” the young man assured him. “Rose gets a pretty heavy discount here.”

“Does she? Huh.” Payment card already in hand, Dezel ran it through the reader.

“Well, she is the owner's daughter.”

Dezel nearly dropped his card as he pushed it back into his wallet, but was quick to recompose himself. “Ah. That would explain it, then.”

“Lucky for you, huh?” The young man chuckled. “Anyway, we'll have your orders ready in a few minutes.”

Walking back to the table he'd previously occupied with Sylph at his side, Dezel sat down again just as Rose returned with two full drink cups, one in each hand. 

“Hibiscus green tea for the gentleman, as requested,” she announced as she placed the cup in front of Dezel, “and blackberry pomegranate tea for me.”

“I'm starting to see why you wanted to come here,” Dezel said as Rose sat down across from him. “Why didn't you tell me your father owned this market chain?”

“Oh, you know, it felt like it would be bragging,” Rose replied, sticking her straw into her cup and taking a sip. “Besides, you said not to choose a place that was expensive and I figured you'd appreciate getting my discount here.”

“Can't say you assumed wrong.” Dezel unwrapped his straw and found the punch hole on the cup lid by touch to insert it. “And given what I budgeted for, I guess this means I can now afford to buy you dessert if you want it.”

“Like I'm gonna say no to that! The fudge brownies with walnuts here are awesome.”

“I'll take your word on that and likely have the same.”

When their order number was called, Rose returned to the counter to pick up the trays and bring them back. The one she slid in front of Dezel held a basket containing a roasted turkey sandwich with lettuce, cheese, thinly sliced apples and orange cranberry compote on whole wheat bread with a side of sweet potato fries. Rose, meanwhile, sat down to a meal consisting of a club sandwich on wheat, cut neatly into four sections, with a side of seasoned fries. 

“So I'm gonna have to admit this is one of the better apologies anyone's ever made to me,” Rose said before tucking into her food. “Even if I did get you my discount here.”

Dezel shrugged. “I just wanted you to know I was being sincere.”

They ate in silence for a couple of minutes. Or relative silence, anyway. One particularly loud burp out of Rose had Dezel pausing and eying her for a solid few seconds, which only made her laugh. 

“Manners,” he grumbled. “You could've at least said 'excuse me'.”

Rose smirked, still trying to laugh it off somewhat. “Never would've pegged you for a stickler over table manners.”

“Just how I was raised.”

“Your parents were tough on you about that kinda thing, huh?”

Dezel hesitated to respond right away, taking another bite of his sandwich and setting it down. Not speaking with his mouth full gave him a few seconds to consider how to respond and whether or not he wanted to get into the subject of his family then and there.

“My situation was like yours,” he finally said quietly. “Lost both my parents at a young age. Don't remember too much about them.”

“Oh.” Rose glanced up from her food, a thoughtful beat passing before she managed more of a response. “Sorry. We don't have to talk about them if you don't want to.”

Dezel hummed softly in thought, his attention turning briefly to the rest of The Nest around them. “How many other people are here? Where are they sitting?”

Rose shifted in her seat to check behind her. “One of the two couples that were here earlier is leaving right now. The other one is sitting at a table closer to the entrance. Why?”

Taking his paper straw wrapper in one hand, Dezel rolled the length between his fingers, needing something to occupy him aside from his food. When he spoke again, he couldn't quite keep the uncertainty out of his voice. “I...don't like to talk about my family much. Especially not in public.”

“Well, it's like I said, you don't have to if you don't want to, Dezel. I would like to know more about you, but we can save talking about stuff like that for another time.”

“I've been something of a bastard to you, though. I realize what I've dealt with in my life isn't an excuse for that, but...”

“It'd help makes sense of things?”

“Something like that. I just don't like talking about it because I don't want anyone's pity.”

Rose ate a few more bites of food, apparently considering that carefully. The quiet gave Dezel the chance to settle enough again to have more of his food, though his insides weren't quite as keen as before with having sustenance dumped into them. He wasn't even sure why he was open at all to the idea of discussing his past and his family, especially with a girl he'd almost forced out of his life recently. Being fair about information certainly did play into his reasoning, but every other part of him screamed about keeping his usual barriers in place. About not showing vulnerability. About not granting reasons for sympathy.

“You know, if you want, we can wait to talk about your family until we leave,” Rose suggested tentatively. “I was thinking yesterday that it might be cool to take some treats to your dormmates for putting up with me that one time I was there. Some cookies or something. I know you're not big on accepting favors, but I could always give you a ride back to the campus and go in with you to deliver everything? We could talk some more in my car about stuff you don't want to discuss here.”

Dezel paused in eating, a sweet potato fry halfway to his mouth before he set it down again, his stomach doing flip flops. He huffed out a resigned sigh. “Fine, I guess. But you're going to spoil my idiot roommate. And the rest of them.”

“Most everyone deserves to get spoiled once in a while, at least. And they seem like good people.”

“Huh, you really are the glass half full sort, aren't you?”

“I try to be. I know not everyone out there is a good person and life's not easy, but thinking too much about the downside of life isn't something I do much. Or try not to do much. Overthinking causes stress, you know?”

“No argument there, I guess.”

Cramming a few fries into her mouth, Rose talked around them while she chewed, much to Dezel's dismay. “I got enough on my plate without sweating the small stuff, anyway. Like college applications and schoolwork.”

A question regarding colleges Rose applied to or wanted to apply to immediately jumped to mind for Dezel, but he swallowed it down along with another sip of his drink. If she mentioned applying to LU, he honestly wasn't sure exactly how he would take it.

“So hey, where'd you go to high school, anyway?” Rose asked, jumping onto that particular tangent with little hesitation. “Were you doing a lot of volunteer work then, too?”

“Marlind. And at that time, not really, no.”

“Were you part of any school clubs?”

“Just the Chess Club in my junior and senior years.”

“Wow. That you were a chess nerd wouldn't have been my first guess.”

Dezel frowned, unable to keep the irritation from creeping into his tone. “I played a little before that, but I got good at it after I started losing my sight. Keeping track of the pieces on the board largely by memory and formulating strategies at the same time was a good mental exercise for me.”

“Whoa, easy,” Rose replied with a barely-there, placating chuckle. “I was just teasing you a little and I didn't mean 'nerd' in a bad way. Two of my closest friends are major history nerds, after all. Really, I think it's cool that you're sharp enough to tackle something like that. Did you ever enter any competitions?”

Going from mildly frustrated to somewhat flustered was a shift Dezel had not been expecting. He could tell that Rose was going to be the sort to keep him on his toes at all times. “A few. I was never quite the best my school had to offer, but I was one of the club's better players. I might have won a comp or two if I hadn't had other things going on.”

“Schoolwork and college applications, all that kinda stuff?”

“That, and things like learning to read Braille and attending camp for both learning to live with a sight-related disability and then for training with Sylph, though the latter happened over the summer between my junior and senior years.”

“Oh yeah? So it's like an actual total away from home thing, training with a guide dog?”

“Mn. It takes time to be paired with a dog and to bond with that dog, for someone to learn how to operate with their dog's assistance. To be done in a short amount of time, it's best done in that way.”

“Well, I can't judge her fully because she's not my dog, but I still think you ended up with a pretty good one. Or it seems that way to me, anyway!”

Dezel smiled a little. “I can't say you're wrong about that.”

When they finished their meal (dessert included), they cleared their table and left The Nest behind to enter the main Market. Walking up and down the aisles, Dezel couldn't help but notice the number of employees who recognized and greeted Rose, who called cheerfully back. 

“They're usually happy to see my dad, too,” Rose whispered with a grin as they entered the bakery department. “But things are always more casual when it's just me.”

“Your father must be a good man to work for,” Dezel mused, following after Rose as she perused the trays of cookies and cupcakes on display.

“Oh, totally! He makes sure all our employees are paid a living wage and have health benefits. It means less money for those of us at the top and that we can't expand our business as quickly as some others, but it makes for a stable company with a good rep that people are willing to support.”

“So being part of the family business... Do you technically work for your father right now?”

“If you mean 'am I only the payroll', then yeah. I am. I usually help him with office related work, though. And I'm also responsible for a few of the products we sell here,” Rose explained, finally settling on a large tray of assorted cookies. Picking it up, she led Dezel toward the registers upfront.

“Yeah? Like what?”

“Like our famed mabo curry buns for one! I've also given dad a few ideas for our season clothing lines. He introduced the idea of having a small clothing department years ago, mostly for outerwear like gloves and jackets, but I gave him the idea to put it all under the Wagtail brand name.”

“Huh... I'm guessing you intend to follow in your father's footsteps, then, if you have that much business savvy already.”

“For sure!” Rose got in line at one of the registers, most of which were open and busy at that time of day. It was a weekend afternoon, after all, and many patrons were there to do their weekly shopping. “I'll be going to college for a degree in business management.”

As they drew close enough for Rose to place the cookie tray on the register belt, a small child likely no older than three toddled over from the line one register over with the intent to “pet the doggy.” Before Dezel could say anything, discomfort immediately bubbling up in his chest, Rose was there, coming between the child and Sylph.

“Whoa, hang on there, little guy! I don't think that doggy wants to be petted,” she said gently. 

To the youngster's credit and from what Dezel could manage to see, he stopped in his tracks and did not try to bypass the human obstacle, instead merely peering around her at Sylph before looking at Rose with a degree of wide-eyed confusion and uncertainty. “How come?”

“This doggy is working right now,” Rose explained. “See this man right here? He can't see, so his doggy helps him walk without running into things.”

At that point, the boy's mother realized she'd lost track of one of her two children, leaving her older one by the cart while she retrieved her son. After offering an embarrassed apology, she carried him back to her cart and set him inside it, giving him a juice box to keep him occupied for the moment.

“...thanks.” Dezel did little to hide the relief in his tone as he and Rose moved up in the line. “I...just never know...”

“How to handle children?” Rose finished with an understanding smile. “I kinda figured. But you're welcome.”

Tray of treats paid for and slipped inside a large bag, Rose and Dezel left the store and went outside to her car. The cookies went into the trunk if just to eliminate all temptation with Sylph riding in the backseat.

There wasn't much in the way of conversation on the way to the campus, Rose keeping the hard rock turned up so she could sing along a little during the drive. Dezel found himself mouthing a few of the words to songs he knew well, only wondering with a startled realization as they pulled into the LU parking lot just how he'd gotten quite that comfortable in such a short time.

Rose really was a good person, the thought serving to throw the situation into sharper contrast when it came to how Dezel had treated her. She deserved to have some answers, even if those answers didn't excuse any of his poor behavior. As those notions dominated Dezel's thought process, he didn't even hear what Rose said to him as she put her car in park and prepared to get out, his partially blind gaze fixed on the dashboard in front of him.

“Dezel?” His name being said snapped him back to reality. She had turned toward him in concern when he didn't start exiting the vehicle on his own. “You okay?”

Dezel swallowed once, chest tingling with anxiety. It was quiet in the car, the only sounds coming from outside it as a group of students walked by on the nearby sidewalk.

“They died when I was four. My father's younger brother – my uncle Lafarga – took me in so I wouldn't end up in an orphanage or foster care.”

He heard Rose's car door click fully shut again as she settled back into her seat. She said nothing, waiting for him to continue, which he was grateful for. It was difficult enough to force the words out without having to pause and answer questions.

“My uncle raised me the best he could, even though he wasn't quite as well off as my parents had been. He was like a father to me at times, an older brother at others. He held down as many as two to three jobs at once most of the time, just trying to make sure we had a decent life in our small apartment. He never wanted me to get a job of my own when I was finally old enough to work, saying that he wanted me to focus on my studies so I could earn scholarships for college.

“I started to lose my sight during my junior year in high school. It happened quickly, my central vision going out in my right eye first, then my left eye a few months later. There wasn't any way to fix it, either. It was something I inherited from my mother's side of the family, they said.

“My uncle did everything he could to help me. He wouldn't let me give up. He learned Braille alongside me and looked into aid programs so I could go to camp to learn how to get by with limited vision. He found the group that eventually matched me up with Sylph and made sure I could get enough financial disability aid to have her.

“But I lost him, too. Right after I graduated high school.” His voice began to waver and crack, and Dezel looked away toward the passenger side window in shame. “He was working late one night, and on the drive home, his car was hit by a semi-truck. The driver had pulled too many shifts without sleep. The accident killed them both.”

“Dezel...” Rose's voice was quiet. She set one hand on his arm, causing him to flinch and pull it away.

“I don't want your pity,” he tried to growl, angry that his eyes were stinging at their corners. Already regretting spilling far too much about himself and his family. “I'm just trying to make you understand. And before you try to remind me that I'm not the only one who's lost people important to me, I know that.”

“It's just that it hasn't even been six months, yet, right...?”

“Yeah...”

“And your uncle was such a huge part of your life, especially when you needed the most support.”

Dezel swallowed thickly, trying to force down the lump that had formed at the back of his throat. “He was... It was going to be tough enough as it was to go away to school and leave him behind in Marlind, but I'd always told myself I could go home to visit over the winter, spring and summer breaks. Yet now...”

For a long moment, Rose said nothing. Discomfort set in further as Dezel realized he probably had said too much. His right hand twitched a little, wanting to seize the car door handle and open it. He needed space, room to breathe-

“You know, I've never been great at coming up with the right things to say in these situations,” Rose half murmured, breaking Dezel's train of thought, “since my usual get-up-and-go attitude doesn't apply that well. But if it helps, I think maybe I do understand a little better now. Why you are the way you are. And while it's not my place to force you to change, I do want you to know I don't pity you. Pity is for people who fall and don't even try to get up again. But you're not that kind of person.”

Dezel's hand lowered, settling on the car door armrest. “While that's appreciated, I don't want you placing me on a pedestal, either. Because others have tried that.”

Rose shook her head. “No, I agree with you. I don't think that's right, either. You're just...you. Doing what you can with what you have.”

He merely nodded, not entirely sure how to address that response verbally. 

“If it's okay to ask, though,” Rose went on, “Is this what you meant before when you said you were scared...? I mean, is it just that you're worried about getting to know people because of what it feels like to eventually lose them?”

She was a little too perceptive, quick to analyze him and his issues, disassemble them and lay them out on a table for examination. Then again, Dezel had no one to blame but himself in this case. He had dropped too many clues. Said a bit too much.

“Something like that,” he finally admitted after several seconds of hesitation. 

“You'll have people coming in and out of your life at a constant, though. I admit it wasn't something I'd thought about until recently, but I guess it was because the thought of me and all my friends going away to college finally hit me. That we wouldn't all end up at the same school or working in the same city afterward. I know that's not the same as someone passing away, but it's the closest comparison I have.” There, Rose paused a moment, and Dezel wondered if she was waiting for him to protest her words. Though he felt some indignation, he forced himself to remain quiet, recalling the last argument they had and letting her continue. “I don't regret getting to know any of my friends. And nothing can take away the memories of all the good times we've shared. Maybe I'm just too inexperienced and optimistic, but I think it's better to have those happy times in your life and hurt when they're over, rather than to just hurt all the time.”

He could tell her that she didn't understand the situation. That friends moving on was too different from having a family member who meant almost everything to you die. Yet he did not, his mind and heart too exhausted by that point to protest.

“Anyway, I'm not going to force you to talk more about this if you don't want to,” Rose said when he continued to say nothing. “In the meantime, I think we should go inside with that tray of cookies, and then I'll leave after that if you want time to yourself.”

Dezel made a soft sound of resigned acknowledgment and they got out of the car.

* * *

When the pair arrived on the third floor of the residence hall, it appeared that everyone Dezel knew even decently well was away from the dorms. So while he would've preferred that the treats Rose brought be left with Lailah, that was not an option at the moment. At the same time, he did not want the cookies left in the common room or kitchen areas, either, as likely they would get snapped up too quickly by other students and Lailah, Edna, Zaveid and Sergei wouldn't manage to get any at all. Thus he let Rose into the room he shared with Zaveid so that she could leave the tray on his desk for the time being.

“I'd like to say this is the first time I've seen your living space,” Rose commented as she turned away from the desk, casting her gaze over the nearby bed and bookshelves, “but it isn't. This is where Zaveid brought me for that private conversation we had before. Sorry.”

Dezel shook his head, a little too tapped for energy by that point to get upset. “Don't worry about it. Really, I shouldn't be shocked Zaveid decided that was a good idea.”

“Well, I should probably go and leave you be.” Despite her words, however, Rose didn't make much of a move toward the door. Rather, she glanced away briefly before shuffling a step closer to Dezel. “Hey, Dezel? Can I...see your hands for a sec?”

Dezel blinked in confusion, while at the same time experiencing a nervous fluttering in his chest. “What for?”

“Nothing bad, I promise. I just know you don't like being touched without warning.”

Or touched in general for the most part. Dezel regarded Rose warily, anxiously, before holding out both hands in front of him, palms down. He could just barely see her arms moving in his peripheral vision and, a second later, felt her take his hands in her own. The sensation of her soft, warm skin coming into contact with his own was enough to send a spark up his spine, his fingers twitching as he resisted the urge to pull away. Feelings he did not know what to do with welled up faster than he could process them, bubbling in his chest and swirling in his stomach.

“I just wanted to thank you for taking me out to lunch today,” Rose said, giving his hands a gentle squeeze. “And for letting me spend time with you. It was nice, getting to talk with you, even if some of what we talked about was pretty serious.”

“Uh, yeah,” he managed awkwardly, aware of his heart trying to pound its way up into his throat. “You're welcome.”

“Anyway, I can see myself out, and I guess I'll see you at the shelter again in a few days?”

“Sure. When will you be there?”

“I've got a mid-week shift and one right before the weekend.”

“I'll be there for both days.”

As Rose let go of his hands and headed for the door, Dezel felt a light chill sweep over his skin in the absence of her warmth. To his surprise, he found he wanted to stop her. Call her back. Ask her to stay a few more minutes.

But he could not. He was too afraid. 

“Have a good evening, Dezel,” Rose called back as she opened the door to depart.

“Wait, Rose!” The sound of his own voice startled him.

“Hm?” Rose paused, glancing back. “Yeah? Something wrong?”

“No, I...” Dezel suddenly did not know what to do with his hands, resorting to using his right to feel over the fingers on his left for no other reason than to keep them occupied. He could sense Rose's questioning gaze on him. It made his heartbeat hasten. “I just wanted to say that you can text me if you want. During the evening hours.”

“You're sure that won't bother you?” She sounded surprised. He couldn't blame her.

“No, it won't. It's fine.”

“Okay, if you're sure. I'll probably text you later tonight then, just to say 'hi'!”

He nodded dumbly, swallowing down the words “I'd like that” before they could tumble out of his mouth.

“Thanks again, Dezel. I'll talk to you later.” There was a smile in Rose's voice as she left, her words dulled the increasing distance as she left the room and pulled the door closed behind her.

Standing by his bed in the wake of Rose's departure, Dezel realized his knees felt oddly weak. Carefully, he sat down on the bed and continued to wring his hands, only ceasing when Sylph approached him and laid her chin on one of his thighs, allowing him to transfer his nervous energy to playing with her soft ears instead.

“I wanted her to stay,” he murmured, earning a soft whine from his companion. “Why? I told myself I wouldn't let anyone get to me like that again...”

If Dezel was honest with himself, he knew the answer already. Trouble was, he was downright awful at that whole being honest thing when it came to his feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taking a moment here at the end to thank everyone who's been keeping up with this story, leaving comments and kudos! It's much appreciated! Also, I wanted to assure anyone who's been reading both this story and "Resonance Unblocked" that I am currently working on the next chapter to RU. It's just slower going, given I didn't have the bulk of it written before I began posting it, unlike "Clarity" (since that was my NaNoWriMo project from last November). I've also got a third multichapter DezeRose story I've been working on when I can manage a little spare time that I will start posting at some point, so there's a whole lot going on over on my end writing-wise, lately. In the meantime, I'm grateful for everyone's patience and there's more of everything on the way!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter break is fast approaching and Rose feels she's ready to take another step forward in her friendship (and possibly more?) with Dezel. But is Dezel ready for that same step...?

Rose hummed to herself as she left the residence hall, her steps lighter and her eyes brighter than they'd been for the last few days. Her keys jingled as she dug around in her bag for them and pulled them out, her thoughts drifting toward the possibility of texting Dezel later that night or maybe Sunday night. Or perhaps texting one or more of her friends to let them know what happened. Then again, there was going to be another group call tomorrow night, wasn't there? Maybe she could fill everyone in on the details, then.

So occupied was Rose with her nightly plans that she didn't see Zaveid until she nearly ran right into him.

“Whoa, hey there, Rosie! Didn't think I'd see you here again so soon.” 

The sound of that distinct and familiar voice jarred Rose from her thoughts and she managed to half shuffle, half stutter-step out of the way before her face met the sophomore's chest. 

“Oh, hey! Yeah, I was just visiting again.” Glancing past Zaveid, Rose noticed he had a young woman with him, her long dark hair pinned back by a red headband and her blue eyes full of curiosity. “This a friend of yours, Zaveid?”

Rose couldn't help but place a little extra emphasis on the word “friend”, the smirk that went with it asking the question she didn't vocalize. Actual friend or more than a friend? She hadn't forgotten what a flirt the man could be.

Zaveid chuckled at the question, picking up on the meaning. “Ah, yeah. Friend – and just a friend – of mine I've known since we both started as freshmen here. Rose, this is Lailah. She's our floor's Resident Advisor. Lailah, this is Rose. That girl Dezel met at the animal shelter.”

Lailah's eyes lit up and she beamed at Rose, pushing past Zaveid to offer her hand in greeting. “Oh, so you're Rose! I've heard a bit about you from both Dezel and Zaveid. It's nice to meet you.”

“Hopefully all good things,” Rose said with an embarrassed smile as she briefly shook Lailah's hand. “Dezel and I got off to a bit of a rough start, friend-wise.”

“Yes, of course. Dezel is the quiet type much of the time, but Zaveid was more than happy to offer some positive words about you,” Lailah replied.

“Speaking of positive words and our resident grump,” Zaveid said, setting one hand on his hip as he glanced back to Rose, “Did you talk to him while you were up there? Or were you just here to visit with Sergei again? I warned Dezel he should be nice to you.”

Rose's eyebrows lifted a fraction. Huh, so Zaveid had gone to bat for her, had he? Maybe that was why Dezel had texted her, offering to take her to lunch. “Actually, I didn't see Sergei at all. I was here dropping Dezel off after we had lunch together.”

Zaveid's eyes widened and he exchanged a brief glance with Lailah, who practically beamed back at him. “Well, what'd you know? Guess Dezel was listening when I chewed him out.”

Lailah's smile faded, concern clear in her eyes. “You weren't too mean to him, were you?”

“Eh, I called him an asshole.” Zaveid shrugged. “Not that he didn't deserve it. But all's well that ends well, right? Anyway, I think the important question here is how the lunch date went, am I right, Rosie?”

Heat flooded Rose's cheeks and she quickly held up one hand as if the gesture would stop that train of thought right there. “Oh, no! It wasn't a date. Not an actual _DATE_ date, anyway. Just two friends taking a little time to talk a little and apologize after a misunderstanding.”

Zaveid wasn't convinced, not if the sly smile curving his mouth was any indicator. “Uh-huh. Sure it wasn't. I'll have to ask Dezel about that myself, later.”

“Oh, Zaveid! You leave Dezel be this time.” It was clear that though Lailah was trying to sound disapproving, the sentiment didn't quite bleed through to her expression. She was likely just as interested in how the “date” went as her friend. “We should just be happy he got out and spent time with a friend.” She then looked to Rose, expression apologetic. “I'm so sorry. We're not usually this nosy about other people's business, but both of us do worry about Dezel from time to time. I'm so glad you're getting along with him, Rose.”

“Uh, same, really. But hey! You guys should probably also know that I brought some cookies with me and left them with Dezel.” Hopefully, a slight shift in the subject would get rid of the light pink flush in Rose's cheeks. “Consider them thanks for helping him out and being so nice to me. It's definitely appreciated.”

“Man, Dezel sure can pick 'em. Why can't I find a girl who brings goodies here for us?” Zaveid smirked, shaking his head.

“Thank you, Rose. It was very kind of you to consider us,” Lailah said, clearly trying to ignore her friend's wistful comments. “I'll move them into the room I share with Edna so Dezel isn't bothered too much and let the others know about them.”

“That's appreciated, Lailah. And I should probably get going since I've chores to do at home and schoolwork to finish.” Rose jingled her keys meaningfully and took a couple of steps in the direction of her car. “Guess maybe I'll see you guys around, though?”

“You better!” Zaveid said with a grin. “Especially if you ever bring more cookies!”

“Oh yes, visit anytime!” Lailah agreed before offering her companion a somewhat exasperated side glance. “But don't feel you need to bring anything but yourself. We wouldn't want to impose on your generosity.”

“Aww, Lailah...” Though disappointed, Zaveid shrugged it off quickly enough before remembering something. “Oh hey! Speaking of visiting, we won't be here for most of winter break, just so you know. Or Edna and I won't be, anyway. We're going back to Marlind to visit and Lailah here is gonna join us for a few days on her own. Speaking of which, might not be the worst time for you to come by here and say 'hi' to Dez. The dorms usually get kinda empty over the breaks.”

“Oh yeah?” Rose frowned in thought. “Dezel's not going with you guys?”

Lailah shook her head. “We have all spoken with him about it, but he doesn't wish to join us. He...has his reasons for remaining here, though I do believe Zaveid is right about a visitor being appreciated while we are away, especially if you and Dezel continue to get along.”

Rose nodded, unable to help but wonder if Dezel's want to remain in Ladylake had anything to do with his late uncle. Perhaps he wasn't ready to return to his home town just yet. Not with all the memories he had left behind. “Alright, I'll keep that in mind. I'm sure even a grouch like Dezel wouldn't mind me showing up with food once in a while.”

As they said their goodbyes and parted ways, Lailah encouraging Zaveid to head toward the hall entrance with her via a tug to his right arm, Rose couldn't help but watch with a faint smile before walking to her vehicle. They were good people and she was pleased she was getting the chance to know them, even if Zaveid could be a little on the obnoxious side. He did mean well, after all.

The thought of Dezel being one of the only students left in that particular residence hall over the winter break stuck with Rose as she drove home, however.

* * *

Dinner at the Aves home that night was roast beef with red skin potatoes and roasted asparagus. The first night of the weekend was, after all, one of those times when Brad fought to be home early enough to cook up a good meal for himself and his daughter. At times, he would end up cooking with his mobile phone earpiece in, discussing some end of the week business with one of his district managers or his accountant as he bustled around the kitchen, measuring out ingredients, cutting vegetables, and manning pots and pans in, off and out of the stove. He often did this while wearing an apron Rose had given him for one of his birthdays while she was still in middle school – an all-black one with the words “this shit is going to be delicious” in white on the front. Given Brad's sense of humor, he'd laughed upon receiving it and proclaimed he'd wear it every time he cooked, whether they had company over or not.

And Brad was the sort of man few people would want to argue with regarding his choice of apparel in the kitchen or anywhere else. Standing roughly six foot three, he was a well-built fellow in his mid-forties, blessed with wild, dark eyes and hair to match. A few years back he had decided to grow a horseshoe mustache, which he kept neatly trimmed in contrast to the thick sideburns that nearly reached his jawline. Though wrinkles had crept in at the corners of his eyes and graying hair sprouted around his widow's peak, he was otherwise easy to mistake for a younger man, especially with his infectious smile and raucous laughter.

“Dinner's up, Rose!”

Hearing her father call from the kitchen, Rose closed up the book she'd been reading for her literature class and trotted in from the living room, sock covered feet padding over the hardwood floor. Without being asked, Rose went about the task of setting the table while Brad sliced up the roast he'd pulled from the oven just a few minutes before. The entire townhome smelled of seasoned, perfectly cooked meat and Rose would be lying if she'd said her mouth hadn't been watering before she'd been called to the kitchen.

Father and daughter both worked on bringing the food to the table, then after hanging his apron up on a hook near the door to the living room, Brad sat down beside Rose at the square, burgundy table cloth-covered table in their dinette area. A quick prayer to The Five Lords was always a must at dinner, something Brad had always insisted upon for as long as Rose could recall. Then it was finally time to dig in, basic table manners always applying but never so harsh that one couldn't rest their elbows on the table or do a little talking with a full mouth. Though if there was one big strict rule that Brad always insisted on adhering to, it was no extensive use of electronics at the table. It was one thing to check a number on an incoming call or look briefly at a text but otherwise, all business involving phones and tablets needed to wait until after dinner ended.

“You get out and do much tonight, kiddo?” Brad asked as he took a steak knife to the large slice of roast beef on his plate. He'd only been home a couple of hours and had pretty much gotten right to work in the kitchen after getting changed out of his work clothes.

“Ah, not too much. Just lunch out with a friend and a couple quick stops on the way back.” Rose stabbed a red potato and shoved it into her mouth. “Been trying to get through a book for one of my classes, but it's so boring, it feels like it's taking forever.”

“Did you have a chance to vacuum in the living room, study, and bedrooms?”

“Yep! All done. And I've been getting my laundry done, too.”

“Atta girl,” Brad said with a nod of approval. “So who'd you go to lunch with? Sorey and Mikleo?”

Rose shook her head between bites of roast beef. “Nah, a friend from the animal shelter.”

They ate in silence for a minute or two before something occurred to Rose, realization striking her as she caught sight of a reminder her father had left on the refrigerator whiteboard. The date for the winter solstice was written in green whiteboard pen ink, circled with a few notes underneath it about meal planning.

“So, hey, Dad? Are we having the usual Winterfall holiday party this year?”

“Yeah, on the night of the solstice, as usual.” Brad glanced over, a partial spear of asparagus stuck to the end of his fork as he paused in eating. “Why, something up? Or did you want to invite someone this year?”

“Yeah, I was kinda thinking there might be a friend I'd like to have over for that if it's alright. Most of my friends usually have their own thing going on that night, but one of them might be spending the holiday alone. Sorta sad to think about, really, so I thought maybe he could come over since we'll be having a bunch of people over anyway.”

The Aves Winterfall holiday party was almost always a yearly event. Typically, it consisted of a get together of local Sparrowfeather higher-ups and their families at the house for a few hours, sometimes resulting in as many as thirty people enjoying a buffet-style dinner while catching up socially. Generally speaking, it was an event with mostly adults and a few teenagers in attendance, but once in a while someone would be unable to find a babysitter and would show up with a kid or two. It was a noisy but enjoyable time for the most part, and not something Rose had really learned to appreciate until she'd finally reached high school age. Well, at least not during those years when she had been fairly young and there had been no other children in attendance. Not that the adults were intolerant of her presence, far from it, but having others around her age always made the event more fun.

“'He', huh? A guy I haven't met before?” One corner of Brad's mouth upturned in a faint smirk.

“Yeah. The same guy I went to lunch with today, actually.”

“That friend from the animal shelter.”

“Yeah.” Rose could already tell where this conversation was headed. The way her cheeks were heating up, it seemed they could tell, as well. “His name's Dezel.”

“So what's his deal? He not have any family in town?”

“No, he doesn't. He's from Marlind and he's living in the dorms at LU right now. Some of his dormmates from Marlind are going back over the break to visit, but he doesn't want to go with them. Figured he might get lonely being one of the only students still staying in the dorms while they're gone.”

“Huh. I see.”

Rose prodded at the couple remaining potatoes on her plate with her fork while Brad mulled that information over, finishing up the last of his roast beef as he did so. Setting his own fork down, Brad took a sip from his glass of wine and wiped his mouth on a napkin before resting his elbows on the table edge, hands over his mostly empty plate and fingers laced thoughtfully together.

“You like him, don't you?” The smirk was more obvious now.

Rose immediately cast her own gaze back down to her plate, her cheeks definitely feeling hot. “Well, yeah. He's a friend, after all.”

“I dunno. I haven't seen you blush like that since you told me you were dating Lyssa.”

It really was impossible to hide anything from Brad. Rose shrugged, knowing that if she tried to tell her father otherwise, she'd be lying to both him and herself. He was correct, after all. Rose hadn't experienced a crush like this since the last few months of her junior year when she and a sophomore girl began dating and ended up going to Prom together. Their relationship had only lasted a few more weeks beyond that point, however.

Whether Rose would even make it to the dating stage with this new crush was another matter.

“Well, he is a good looking guy. And I like talking to him. Guess I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to get to know him better,” Rose admitted with a small smile. “My crush aside, though, in case he's not in the market for a significant other? I'd be fine with just being his friend. He kinda seems like he could use a few more of those.”

“Well, maybe he'll make a few more if comes to the house for the party. And, hell, bring him around before then if you want. If he takes an interest in you, he needs to meet your old man before you start dating.”

“Dad...” Rose half-pouted, hunching her shoulders a bit. “It's not like I'm dating a guy like Reynard again. I learned my lesson already with guys like him.”

“Not saying you didn't, but I'd like to meet him anyway. Have a man to man chat with him.”

“No kitchen knife sharpening while you talk, right?”

Brad laughed. “No promises, kiddo. But I'll try to behave myself.”

Once dinner concluded, Rose helped Brad clear the table and took care of the majority of the dishes while he put the leftovers away. There was a definite want on Rose's part to hurry up to her room afterward and text Dezel right away, inviting him to the party the following month. As she settled on her bed with her phone in hand, however, Rose wondered if that might be too much for him to take in, all in one day. They had only just been out to lunch together a handful of hours prior, after all.

Plus, the more Rose thought about it, the more she wondered if Dezel would even want to attend at all. He wasn't much of a people person and being around so many strangers at once at a social event might not be his idea of a good time. Still, she couldn't imagine that he would really enjoy being almost entirely by himself at the dorms for nearly two weeks with his guide dog as his only close companion. 

Maybe the better idea would be to continue talking with him at the animal shelter when they were volunteering on the same days. Ask him if he had ever been much for celebrating Winterfall. After all, part of the reason he didn't want to go back to Marlind for the break might have been because the holiday was special to him until his uncle passed away. If that was the case, it might be that Dezel preferred avoiding all reminders of the holiday, period.

Though Rose hoped not. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to get or make Dezel some little gift, too. Just something small and thoughtful. And maybe useful. Like a nice pair of gloves or a scarf. Dezel did seem the sort to like practical gifts if he would accept gifts at all.

Gods, she really had it bad, didn't she? Rose blamed that cute, shaggy dark hair, those broad shoulders, that nice ass, and those gorgeous green eyes. It sure as hell didn't hurt that Dezel was cute when he was flustered, either. The way his cheeks would flush and how he'd glance away, as though hoping she wouldn't notice. And the way he'd smile in those rare moments when he was genuinely happy.

Feeling daring at the moment, Rose opened her text conversation with Dezel and tapped out a message, unable to keep a smile off her face as she did so.

_'Hey, Dezel. You said I could text you in the evenings, so I'm texting! You shaggy sheepdog.'_

Rose then opened her favorite social media site and scrolled through her timeline until a response came back about five minutes later.

_'...shaggy sheepdog? What the hell?'_

_'I'm just teasing you a little! The way your hair hangs down reminds me a little of a sheepdog.'_ Rose paused a moment after hitting send, then followed up with another text. _'It's cute. <3'_

_'Oh...'_

_'Not sure what to say to that?'_

_'Not really... Thanks. I guess.'_

Rose grinned. She could just imagine how flushed his cheeks must be at the moment. But she didn't want to tease too much. If he got too flustered or even frustrated, he might stop answering. Time to switch gears.

_'So I wanted to ask you... Is there anything you miss doing while at LU? Like hobbies or anything. Just curious.'_

_'Cooking. Not really much room or many chances to do that here.'_

_'Oh yeah? Are you really good at it?'_

_'Yeah. Been cooking since I was ten.'_

_'Wow. Think I could get you to cook a meal for me sometime?'_

_'Maybe...yeah.'_ Another text followed a few seconds later. _'What do you like?'_

Rose kicked her feet back and forth as she lay on the bed, happy that he cared enough to ask, but unable to nail down a personal favorite as she ran through all her father's usual home menu choices in her head. _'I'm not picky. You could always surprise me! Make me one of your favorites, maybe.'_

_'I'll keep that in mind if I ever have the chance.'_

_'I hope you do. I don't usually like it when guys show off, but any guy who wants to cook me something can show off all he wants!'_ Rose was all too aware that she was actively flirting at that point, but she found she couldn't stop. Dezel's reactions thus far had been mostly positive, after all, and served to encourage her further.

_'Alright.'_

Poor guy. He was likely at a loss for words.

_'Anyway, don't wanna bug you all night long. Mostly just texted you because you said I could and I wanted to say hi,'_ Rose texted back. _'Have a good night, okay?'_

_'Okay.'_ There was a few seconds worth of “pause”. Then: _'You too, Rose.'_

_'See you at the shelter. <3'_

_'Yeah. Til then.'_

Rose set her phone down on her quilt, jaw resting against one hand while she scrolled up and down through the conversation with one finger. She knew she needed to get up shortly and get a few more things on her to-do list done before the night ended and the school week began anew in the morning, but sometimes a wistful heart demanded to stay in the moment just a little longer.

Her next shift at the animal shelter seemed too far away just then.

* * *

The next couple of weeks passed more quickly than Rose imagined they would, but the upcoming end of the semester reports and exams hastened things along. Still, she found the time necessary to commit to her volunteer work at the shelter, both for the animals and for Dezel. It may have been two hours of her day, twice per week, but working with the dogs and cats gave her a different point of focus and proved a good way to de-stress.

As for Dezel, himself, Rose's conversations with him continued and increased in frequency. Talk at the shelter while with the animals typically remained on the subject; Dezel was always more than happy to share what he considered interesting facts about domesticated animals and to provide pointers on caring for them when Rose asked. Rose helped Dezel give Sylph another bath, drying both dog and owner after a little too much shaking on Sylph's part left Dezel's face wet with water droplets. Rose's soft, genuinely amused laughter and her gentle, towel-covered touch had left Dezel with a reddened face as he stammered out a “thank you” for the assistance.

When the last week of school before the break rolled around, Rose checked in for her volunteer day on early in the week, stomach in knots of nervous anticipation. This was the last day both she and Dezel would be able to volunteer before winter break, seeing as how both of them were amid end-of-the-semester tests and projects. She would have to ask Dezel about coming over to the house during the break that day or else settle for asking via text later in the week. And while Rose was about as good with texting as most young adults her age, this seemed to be something that would be better done in person.

After finishing up her own work for the day, Rose stood just inside the secluded kennel section, watching with a fond smile on her face as Dezel repeatedly rolled a ball across the play area floor for Scooter to chase and retrieve. From what Rose understood, Scooter was almost a completely different dog from the one who'd arrived broken and scared, months prior. She moved decently on her three remaining legs, nearly fully recovered from her surgery, able to chase after the ball and bring it back with little trouble at all.

“You've done a really good job with her,” Rose said with an appreciative smile as she helped Dezel put Scooter back into her kennel area alongside Traxler. “Do you think she'll be ready for adoption after the break's over?”

“Technically, she's ready now,” Dezel said as they finished locking the door, “but we'll see. She'll need a specific kind of home with particularly understanding people to look after her. Even with everything that's been done here for her, leaving and going to a new place will be difficult.”

“Her history will make the change rough, huh?”

“Change is usually easier on dogs than cats, but yes. Dogs like Scooter often need more adjustment time and thus humans who will understand that, willing to help her feel at home over a longer period.”

Rose was quiet for a moment, leaning on the chain-link fence that made up the forward-facing part of the kennel space, watching while Scooter bedded down in her dog bed while Traxler licked at her face. Something occurred to Rose then and she glanced at Dezel, unsure if she should voice her thoughts or not.

“Something on your mind?”

Ah, he must have caught her movement out of the corner of his eye in what peripheral vision he still possessed. Rose looked back at the two dogs again. “Yeah, kinda. I guess I was just wondering if you work so well with dogs like Scooter because you get what they're going through better than most people would.”

Dezel was silent for several seconds. Briefly, Rose worried she'd upset him and he'd turn away to leave, wanting to avoid conversation. But then he spoke, voice quieter than usual, his own hands gripping the chain-link fence a fraction tighter.

“Maybe.” A pause. “Why? Do you think that's sad?”

“No. I just think it's important to look at the upside of any situation, if possible. That you can have a connection with dogs like Scooter is good. Maybe it doesn't make up for everything, but... You both deserve to have people understand you.”

Dezel said nothing, though Rose noticed him swallowing hard, his Adam's apple dipping down and his jaw tensing.

“I'm not gonna say I understand you completely since we haven't known each other that long,” Rose went on, “but I like knowing you. And talking with you. That's why I wanted to ask you about something today.”

“Ask me something? About what?”

“Do you have any plans for the winter break at all?”

“No, not really.”

“What would you think about spending some of it at my place, with my dad and me?”

Dezel turned his head in her direction, eyebrows arching a fraction behind his bangs. “...how much time?”

“A week, maybe? Or a week and a half, if you'd like.” Rose smiled at him, hoping it carried over into her words. “And don't worry about it being okay. I already talked with Dad about this and he's fine with having you as a guest for a bit.”

Truth be told, said “talk” had actually occurred numerous times by that point. Going from simply asking if Dezel could attend the party to staying over that night, to staying a few days to staying more than a week. The final part of the idea had actually been some teasing on Brad's part that Rose jumped on before he could take it back. Thankfully, Brad was the generous sort and had merely laughed before nodding and agreeing with the idea as a serious one.

“A week...” Dezel trailed off as he repeated the offer, tone one of uncertainty.

Ah, she may have put him on the spot a little too quickly. “Only if you want to stay that long! And you don't have to make a decision now if you don't want. You know, take a couple days to think it over and text me when you figure out what you wanna do.”

“I...don't want to impose.”

“Don't be silly! We're inviting you, so how could it be imposing? Besides, I know you said you miss having chances to cook, so you could always cook dinner for us one night if doing something in return really bothers you that much. Or even just make something for dessert.”

Dezel's mouth flattened into a thin line as he considered the suggestion. His fingers tugged at the chain-link fence, needing something to fidget with. “I suppose...”

“Like I said, think it over, okay?” Tentatively, Rose let one hand come to rest against the fence alongside Dezel's near hand, the two just barely touching. “And no pressure, really. You do what you want to do.”

Dezel merely nodded, saying nothing. But Rose swore she could feel him pressing the side of his hand against hers, even if only the slightest bit. She found she wanted to take advantage of that, put her hand over his or outright take his hand into her own. Either gesture might be too much, however, so she somehow managed to resist the urge. It wasn't worth startling him, especially not now.

“And just so you know,” Rose added, “My dad knows about Sylph, too, so there's no problem with having a dog in the house. You'd both be welcome. Just one last thing to keep in mind.”

“You've...really thought this all through, haven't you?”

“It's just part of being a good, responsible host, right? Admittedly, all this started because I wanted to invite you to the party we're having on Winterfall Eve, but I thought inviting you to stay awhile longer would be more fun.”

“What kind of party?”

“Oh, you know. Mostly people my dad works closely with and their plus-ones. It's not like a super classy affair or anything, but we always have plenty of food. Sort of a dinner-via-nice-buffet kinda deal. It's just a fun social event with co-workers who are also good friends.”

“Parties aren't really my thing. Too noisy.”

Rose frowned. “Yeah, I did kinda figure after I asked my dad about inviting you. But that's also why we're inviting you to stay for a few days at least, so you can enjoy the house while it's quieter. Plus if you don't want to be at the party, you don't have to do that, either. We'd be putting you up in our guest room, so you could always stay in there for a while if things get too noisy downstairs.”

“Any of your other friends going to this thing?”

“Nah, they all have their own families to spend time with that night.”

Dezel said nothing for a long moment. Then, after several seconds of silence, he finally nodded. “Alright. I'll accept your invitation. Just promise me that I can cook for you and your dad at least one night.”

Rose blinked in surprise. She honestly hadn't expected her invitation to be accepted that day after all the initial hesitation. “You do? Really? I mean, sure! You definitely can! Just let me know what you'd like to make and we'll make sure we've got all ingredients on hand for you.”

“I can text you before the weekend and let you know. Is that alright?”

“Yeah, totally!”

“I'll do that, then. Though for now, we should head back up front.” He took his hands from the fence. “I'll miss the next bus back to campus if I don't leave soon.”

“I could always give you a ride back, you know. I know you're not usually up for that, but we could always talk more on the way about preparations for you coming over.”

To Rose's surprise, Dezel smiled faintly. “I think I'd like that.”

Her heart nearly jumped into her throat out of excitement. As they left the kennels and walked back toward the lobby, she found herself struggling to resist the urge to take his hand in hers. Her want to touch was becoming almost unbearably strong, but she knew she needed to hold herself in check. That Dezel had accepted her invitation without needing a good deal of time to consider it was a real step forward, after all. That and his acceptance of a ride home would need to be enough for the day.

But then again, seeing him smile was what really put it all over the edge for her. That definitely made everything worthwhile.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dezel and Sylph leave the dorms behind to join Rose and Brad as a guest in their home for winter break. But did Dezel really make the right decision? Or did he bite off more than he could chew...?

When Dezel arrived at the dorms that evening, choosing to say goodnight to Rose in the parking lot and make his way up to the third floor with just Sylph at his side, he found his roommate already present. Zaveid sat at his desk, laptop open, working away on an end of the semester paper that was due in just a couple of days. He didn't turn as Dezel and Sylph entered, but rather held up one hand in greeting.

“Hey, Dez. Back from the shelter?”

“Yeah. Last visit before the semester's over.” Dezel shut the door and walked to his bed to take a seat, Sylph sitting down in front of him and resting her head on his knee. “You about done with your paper?”

“Eh, I'm probably about three-quarters of the way there. Why?”

“I was thinking...maybe we could go get dinner together in a bit.”

That was enough to get Zaveid to stop working and turn halfway about in his chair. “Wait... _You_ are asking _me_ about getting food together.” There was a pause. Dezel was sure that his roommate was narrowing his eyes in scrutiny. “Okay, who are you and what did you do with my dormmate?”

Dezel's cheeks flushed a bit. He scowled as though that might help chase the heat from his cheeks. “What? Am I not allowed to eat across from the person I live with?”

“I never said that. But even you've gotta admit this is a little weird for you, Dez. Sure, we've had meals together before, but it's usually because I insisted on it or because you owed me one.”

“If you're going to be like that about it, maybe I don't want to go get dinner with you.”

“Whoa, hey! Alright. I'll ease off. Sheesh. But you can't blame a guy for being curious.”

Slowly, Dezel's scowl of frustration melted into more of a frown of minor irritation. He sighed. “Look, maybe I just wanted to talk with you about something. Thought we could do it over dinner.”

“Nothing saying we can't. Or that we can't talk now. Whichever.”

Needing something to do with his hands, Dezel focused a portion of his attention on Sylph, stroking her head and scratching her behind her ears. To his credit, Zaveid said nothing while his roommate gathered his thoughts.

“I just wanted to tell you I had plans for the winter break, now,” Dezel finally said. He paused before saying anything further, as though debating the wisdom of giving out too many details. “Rose invited me to stay with her and her father at their place for about a week.”

“Whoa, you serious? And you actually said 'yes'?”

“Yeah. Why would I bother to tell you if I didn't? I just wanted you to know the room will be vacant while you're in Marlind.” Another pause. “Plus I felt like I should tell you since you invited me to go a while back and I declined.”

“Huh. I see. You feel guilty about that?”

Dezel said nothing. Part of him wanted to brush it all off. Say that he didn't, that he was free to do whatever he wanted and he shouldn't feel guilty about any of it. Yet another part of him disagreed, told him he was right to feel some degree of regret. Despite a tendency to be rather nosy and pushy, Zaveid was not a bad person. He meant well in most of what he did, including the invite to Marlind.

Fortunately, Zaveid didn't need an answer to come up with a response. Getting up out of his chair, he walked over and took a seat beside Dezel. “Hey, listen. I get why you aren't ready to go back to Marlind just yet. And you shouldn't go if you don't really want to right now. Besides, there's always spring break, right? And summer, plus all the breaks over the following semesters. We've got plenty of time and opportunities for trips back to the old stomping grounds.”

While Dezel was not typically a fan of having his space suddenly invaded, he found he didn't mind, this time. Perhaps he was finally getting used to Zaveid. Or maybe it was just that he'd given up on pushing the sophomore away. Either way, he nodded, but still kept part of his attention on Sylph, who was leaning against his leg, now. “I think I'd like to make my first trip back a short one. Maybe with just one other person, if not by myself.”

“Yeah, I get it. Personal time for what you need to do.”

Dezel nodded, unable to elaborate further and grateful his roommate understood. He knew that his first trip back should include a visit to the cemetery where his uncle was buried, something he needed to do for himself and without too many watching eyes, if any at all.

“Well, all that aside, though, I gotta say I am pretty proud of you, Dez.”

“What? Why?”

Zaveid put an arm around Dezel's shoulders, the grin all too evident in his voice when he spoke again. “Because it sounds to me like you've finally got a significant other!”

Heat rushed into Dezel's cheeks and he immediately tried to push Zaveid away, startling Sylph. “Wh-what? No, I don't! Rose and I are just friends!”

“Suuuure you are!” Zaveid laughed as he allowed Dezel to push him back. “Even if you're not willing to admit it, I still think that girl's got the hots for you!”

“Why would she? All this is just... It's so there will be someone else near her age at the Winterfall party her father is putting on.”

“So you're staying _a week_ for one party? Yeah, that doesn't help your argument at all, Dez.”

“Because she didn't want Sylph and me in the dorms by ourselves for so long. That's all.”

“Uh-huh. And you're just playing along with it all to appease her.”

“Yeah. Something like that.”

Zaveid made a low sound of amusement and stood up to walk back to his desk chair. “That just means you care about how she feels and what she thinks. Still not a good argument.”

“Friends are supposed to care about those things, though, aren't they? Stop making a big deal out of nothing.”

“C'mon, man. Do you really not feel anything special for that girl? She strikes me as kinda rambunctious, sure, but sometimes those are the fun ones. And she's pretty nice. I think you'd be out of your mind not to take an opportunity when it's presented.”

“Tch, you make it sound like it's a situation that can be taken advantage of...”

Zaveid snorted as he swiveled his chair around to face his laptop again. A few key clicks followed as he looked over his work on the screen. “No, I don't. I'm just saying you could at least try to hold her hand or something completely innocent if she'll let you. See what happens and where things go. And even though I know you said you weren't interested in romance before, I'm willing to bet you'll change your mind if she kisses you.”

“She's not going to kiss me.” The words felt less than pleasant on Dezel's tongue. Anxiety roiled in his chest and gut as he realized he didn't feel as steadfast as he used to on his personal “no romance” rule.

“Is that disappointment or wistfulness I detect in your tone?”

“Neither! Just leave it alone, Zaveid. I'm just going to stay with a friend for part of the winter break, that's all.”

“Fine, fine. Just promise me you'll let her down easy if she makes a move and you really don't want it.”

“Yeah, sure. Whatever.”

Zaveid hummed quietly in acceptance of Dezel's response, then saved his work and shut down his laptop. “Anyway, all that aside, what was that before about getting dinner together? You still up for that or not?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. You ready now?” 

“Yep! Just lemme grab my keys, jacket, and wallet.”

As Dezel stood up, waiting for his roommate to collect himself so they could head down to the cafeteria, he felt an odd lump settling in the pit of his stomach. He recognized it as the uncomfortable combination of frayed nerves and fear, and he silently cursed Zaveid for suggesting that Rose might make a move on him over the winter break. The more he thought about it, the more Dezel wanted it. The evening she bade him farewell in that same room, taking his hands in hers, had left a distinct impression on him. So had every other touch after, as few and bare as they had been. Perhaps he was merely starved for human contact, as he'd barely had any since Lafarga passed away, even though he'd been telling himself for months that he didn't want to be touched by much of anyone. Or maybe the butterflies flitting around the lump in his gut meant he wanted something more from Rose, specifically. That would explain why his cheeks felt hot with every touch initiated by her as opposed to when anyone else managed to lay a hand on one of his shoulders.

He just wasn't sure he could cope with the disappointment if he let himself feel something so deep for her if she did not share the same sentiment for him. It was safer to call her a friend and expect nothing else. 

Following Zaveid out of their shared space with Sylph guiding him, Dezel attempted to swallow the lump that was trying to form at the back of his throat. Hopefully, he could turn his thoughts elsewhere before they sat down to eat, as a stomach ache over a sudden case of nerves would not be a pleasant way to end the night.

* * *

The remainder of the week came and went in a blur of exams and project deadlines. Like many other students on campus, Dezel lost sleep between studying and report writing, and by the time the semester ended he didn't want to do much aside from spending the first day off resting. Zaveid was of a similar mindset, both of them spending a fair amount of time on day one of the break lazing about and only getting to packing later in the evening.

Fortunately, all Dezel's end of semester work kept him mentally occupied enough that he hadn't devoted too much thought to his upcoming stay at Rose's house, not beyond responding to her text messages here and there about recipe ingredients, what kind of dog treats Sylph liked, and pick up time confirmation. It was only after around 5pm the day before he was supposed to leave the dorms that anxiety began to set in again.

Dezel packed up a backpack and large duffle bag of clothing, toiletries and other necessities that night, checking, double-checking and then triple checking the contents of both bags. Rose had assured him that he wouldn't need to bring Sylph's bowls, treats or food bin. He also talked himself out of bringing more than a couple of books along, since it would be better to travel relatively light and have less to lose between the dorms and his destination. Zaveid watched most of the packing with an air of fond amusement, asking questions here and there while he packed his own bags for the trip to Marlind. Dezel answered most with minimal responses, except those questions regarding what he planned to cook while at the house. That he didn't mind discussing quite so much.

Three hours and fifteen minutes before noon the following morning, Dezel found himself sitting on a bench just outside the residence hall, backpack on his left and duffle bag on his right while he waited for Rose to arrive. Sylph sat by his feet, leaning a little on his left leg, ears erect while she watched other students come and go. Rose was supposed to be by at nine o'clock, but Dezel couldn't help being outside and ready to go several minutes early. The only problem with that was that sitting about gave him more time to be anxious.

Just a few minutes after Dezel sat down, however, there was a bit of a ruckus by the residence hall's main entrance. Dezel detected a trio of familiar voices, the two he knew best belonging to Zaveid and Edna. The third voice he recognized after a moment as belonging to Edna's older brother Eizen, who taught courses at the university on archaeology and ancient history. If Dezel recalled correctly, Eizen was ten years older than his younger sibling, but the two were quite close and spent a decent amount of time together when not dealing with business on campus.

As the group exited the building, Zaveid hollered something back into the lobby, probably at the student running the front desk at the moment. Edna was griping at him to quit fooling around and Eizen was urging them both to stow the noise and help him with their luggage. Eventually, they made it down the walkway, Eizen leading the way out to the parking lot. Much to Dezel's dismay, the car Eizen owned was parked close by. Close enough that while he started loading it up, Zaveid noticed his roommate and decided to meander on over.

“Hey, Dez!” he called as he drew closer. “Waiting on your ride?”

“Yeah.” Reaching up with one hand, Dezel drew his hat a bit lower over his face. Lighter footfalls in Zaveid's wake indicated Edna may be approaching as well. “Should be here soon.”

“Good, good,” Zaveid said with an air of approval as he came to a halt a bit to Dezel's left. “I was actually hoping you'd still be out here by the time we came down. There's something I wanted to pass along to you before we take off.”

Dezel arched a brow, a frown creasing his features as he dared to turn his head in his roommate's direction, almost afraid to know what Zaveid wanted to give him. “Oh?”

“Yep! Hand out, buddy. I've got it right here...”

With more than a little trepidation, Dezel hesitantly held out his left hand. A moment later, something small and light dropped into it, fitting easily into the palm of his hand. He closed his fingers over it, quickly determining that it was something flat and square-shaped.

“...the hell is this?” he asked, taking the object in both hands to feel over it with his fingers. It was a packet of...something. “It feels like a single-use screen cleaner packet.”

Zaveid leaned in closer, nudged him a little with one elbow. From the sound of his voice, Dezel imagined him winking for some reason. “Oh, I think you'll know what it is and when to use it when the time is right! Just trust me on that and hide it in your wallet for right now. Best place for it so it'll be there when you need it.”

“ _Zaveid_.” There was no mistaking the accusatory tone in Edna's voice. 

“What?” Zaveid asked. “I'm just trying to help the guy out! Safety first, am I right?”

It was then that Dezel realized what he had in his hands, somewhere between Zaveid's barely-there explanation and the feeling of something circular occupying space inside the foil packet. His cheeks flushed, heat rapidly overtaking his face. 

_A condom._

“He doesn't need that kind of help!” The words were Edna's only warning before she started attacking Zaveid with her parasol, slapping it against his calves and shins, forcing him away from Dezel, the bench, and a very confused Sylph. “Why do you have to be so pushy and nosy all the time?”

“Ow, Edna! Hey! C'mon!”

“Alright, enough messing around you two!” It was Eizen, still near the car and sounding more than a little weary already. Likely he'd already had far too many reminders that morning alone of what he was in for over the next several hours, trapped in the same car with two people who were bound to needle each other more than half the trip. “Car's almost loaded. We need to finish up and get on the road.”

Edna huffed quietly as Zaveid finally took his leave, then turned toward Dezel, who was sure by that point that his face was cherry red.

“...you don't have to keep that thing, you know,” she said. “Not that Zaveid is wrong. But you shouldn't force anything, either.”

Dezel grunted and hastily stuffed the condom into one jacket pocket, worried that Rose would arrive any moment and see him sitting there with it like a complete idiot. “Don't you think I know that? I'm not sure why any of you even think there's much of anything to force, anyway.”

“Oh please. Your face is redder than your girlfriend's hair.”

“She's not my girlfriend!”

“Do you want her to be?”

Dezel clammed up, swallowing hard. Somehow, it was easier to deny his feelings for Rose in front of Zaveid. Why it was difficult with Edna, Dezel could not be sure. Perhaps it was because doing so would surely earn him a beating with that damn parasol.

“Look, stop fooling around and just give her this when she gets here,” Edna said, holding something out. 

“What is it?”

“Just take it, idiot.”

Dezel reached out with one hand and felt Edna press something into it. It was long and slim, and passing the fingers of his other hand over it revealed leaves and a blossoming flower at the end. “A...rose?”

“Yes. A red one.”

“Edna, I can't give her this.”

“Whatever,” Edna said as she turned away to head for the car. “Everyone knows you've fallen hard for that girl, Dezel. Might as well treat her right and stop lying to yourself.”

“I'm not lying to myself!”

“You are! And you're also really bad at it!”

Dezel heard the car doors closing and the engine starting. Zaveid called out a farewell from one open window. Hesitantly, Dezel raised his free hand in vague acknowledgment. Then the car was pulling out and away, the sound of the engine lost to both distance and the other various sounds around the area.

Alone once again, Dezel fingered the stem of the rose in his hands. The thought of tossing the flower away crossed his mind, but he wasn't sure he could bring himself to do it. Edna got on his nerves often enough, but then so did most people. Besides, it wasn't as though he disliked her, even if she was wrong about how he felt about Rose.

Or was she?

“I'm not lying to myself,” he muttered, frown deepening.

“Lying to yourself about what?”

Dezel startled, nearly dropping the flower. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed the approaching footsteps, nor Sylph turning in that direction and panting happily at the person walking toward them. The voice was unmistakable, however.

“R-Rose! Oh, nothing,” he managed to stammer out as he straightened up and tried to recompose himself. His stomach was suddenly flopping about inside him like a fish out of water. At a loss for anything else to do or say, Dezel held up the flower. “This...is for you, by the way.”

“Oh...” Rose took the gift from him, her fingers brushing his as she did so and sending a spark right up his spine. “Thanks. It's beautiful.”

Dezel found himself scrambling to analyze her reaction. The words used. Her tone of voice. Had that been legitimate gratitude? What was he supposed to say next, anyway?

Oh, right.

“You're welcome,” he managed finally, far too long after the rose changed hands. “A friend thought I should give it to you.”

“A friend? Zaveid?”

She sounded somewhat disappointed. Dezel rubbed at the side of his neck, a vague grimace creasing his features. “No. Edna. Rocks and plants are her sort of her thing.”

Rose chuckled a little, though the sound wasn't entirely merry. It seemed a little forced. “Just one girl looking out for another, huh? That was nice of her.”

“I...suppose.”

“So, you ready to go?” Rose moved up a little closer to pick up the duffel bag on the bench. “Here, lemme get this for you.”

“Thanks.” Dezel's response was more a murmur than anything as he stood up, shouldering his backpack and taking Sylph's harness handle in hand.

There was nothing particularly special about the trip to Rose's place, though it was perhaps an overall quieter car ride than previous instances in which she had taken Dezel somewhere, the radio volume down and little talk between them for much of the way. Sylph panted happily while riding in the back seat, continually moving back and forth from one back window to the other to see outside. Dezel wished he could share his companion's carefree enthusiasm, instead finding that the butterflies in his middle seemed to be multiplying with every intersection stop that was made. Over and over again, his thoughts returned to his last private conversation with Zaveid, as well as the tiny foil packet hiding in his jacket pocket.

“Think you could grip the 'oh shit bar' a little tighter?” Rose's teasing tone snapped Dezel from his train of thought as they were nearing their destination.

“The...what now?”

“The 'oh shit bar.' Learned it from my dad. It's what he calls the handle above the car door.”

Dezel frowned. “Why  
call it that, though? It's to help get in and out of the car.”

“What? You've never felt the need to grab it when the person driving is speeding or something?”

“I guess I have. Sure.”

“Well, there you go, then!” There was a pause as Rose brought the car to a halt at a stoplight. “So why are you gripping the oh shit bar, anyway? I'm not even going that fast.”

“No real reason.”

“You nervous about meeting Dad, maybe? Or staying somewhere unfamiliar?”

Damn her for being so sharp, even though she was only partially right.

“More the latter,” Dezel admitted, unwilling to say anything about how he was not sure how to handle meeting Brad for the first time. Or about all his other conflicting emotions. “Not much different than when I moved into the dorms, though. I'll be fine.”

“Well, lucky for you, I'd already planned on giving you the grand tour of the place after we arrive! I'll lead you and Sylph around, and both of you can start getting acquainted, learning where all the rooms are, how many steps are between the doors and all that good stuff.”

Dezel grunted in acknowledgment but said nothing more for the remaining couple minutes of the trip.

When they arrived at the Aves residence, Rose left her car parked in the driveway and fetched the duffel bag from the trunk before showing her guests inside. Backpack slung over one shoulder, Dezel allowed Sylph to lead him through the front door, their steps a little slower and more hesitant than usual as they entered completely new territory. Rose removed her sneakers by the door and showed Dezel to a stool that had been left in the entryway so he could sit down and do the same with his boots. Then they were off, Rose starting her tour of the townhome.

Rose started with the downstairs areas, leading her guests through the dining room and living room, allowing Sylph to sniff about and guide Dezel to where he could mentally mark the locations of the larger pieces of furniture. The kitchen was next, Rose waiting patiently while her guests noted the locations of the refrigerator, countertops, sink, table, and chairs. Then, after showing them where the guest half bathroom was located, Rose led the pair upstairs, watching while Dezel ascended with one hand gripping Sylph's harness handle while the other used the railing on his other side for additional guidance and support.

“Sorry about the stairs,” she said as they reached the top. “I know they're not exactly ideal in this situation.”

Dezel shook his head. “It's fine. My uncle and I lived in a second-story apartment with no elevator access when I started losing my sight. And Sylph is trained to handle stairs. I'll just be slower going down them than going up.”

“Alright. Just let me know if you do have any problems with them!”

The tour continued from there, Rose indicating which bedrooms were which and laying down the ground rules. Brad stayed in the master bedroom to the left of the stairs, an area that was off-limits to guests without an invite. Rose's bedroom and the guest room were to the right, the pair connected through the same full bathroom, one door to each room on either side. It was apparently a situation in which Rose could not resist some teasing, telling Dezel that if he left the toilet seat up she would have to kick his ass. Dezel wished he could find the moment at least vaguely amusing, but he was too busy taking note of where the toilet sat relative to the counter and the sink, and on which side the toilet paper roll was located.

“You and your father have a nice place,” Dezel said as they entered the guest room so he could take a seat on the bed. “It's spacious.”

“It's pretty decent-sized,” Rose agreed, setting the duffel bag down on the bed next to him. “But I guess anything bigger than a broom closet might seem big after dorm life for a semester, huh?”

“Yeah. Sharing one small room with someone else doesn't help, either.”

“Especially when it's Zaveid?”

At that, Dezel finally managed to crack a smile. “Especially when it's Zaveid.”

Rose chuckled knowingly. “Anyway! Be sure to let me know if you need anything. You and the pup are our guests here, after all. Also, Dad said he'd be home early tonight to cook for us. And – oh! I actually forgot to show you where we set up Sylph's bowls and what our little backyard is like.”

“I'll need to get my boots from the entryway, then.”

“Nah, you can just borrow Dad's slip-on shoes! C'mon, he usually leaves them by the sliding glass door in the living room that leads out onto the porch!”

Dezel made a small noise of surprise in the back of his throat as Rose took his hand in hers and urged him to his feet. She wasn't typically one to touch without asking, not since she'd become aware that it was an issue, but somehow Dezel found he didn't mind at all. Maybe it was because Rose was so thrilled to have him around and for as much as he struggled with the notion, he didn't want to put a damper on her good mood, either.

“You're sure that's alright?” he asked, taking hold of Sylph's harness once more, his other hand still in hers.

“Sure, it's fine! And you can let Sylph run around out back for a bit, too. I mean, if you trust me to show you around myself and you don't mind me holding your hand?”

All too aware of how warm Rose's hand felt holding his, Dezel was quiet a beat before shaking his head. “No, I don't mind. I trust you.”

Rose gave his hand a gentle squeeze before letting go and, at that moment, Dezel knew she was smiling. It was enough to work a faint smile out of him, as well, as he and Sylph followed her back to the stairs.

* * *

The afternoon passed at a leisurely pace, Rose treating Dezel to lunch at a nearby fast-food restaurant and making a quick stop at the nearest Sparrowfeathers Market for a few items before returning home. Dezel then caught up on some leisure reading while Rose did a couple of chores around the house and by the time Brad arrived, they were seated at the kitchen table, watching and listening to the early evening news while Rose wrapped up a few small holiday gifts for her other friends.

Dezel's head turned a little at the sound of the front door opening and closing, a man's voice calling out to Rose to let her know he was home. His insides automatically clenched up and he gripped the can of soda he held in one hand a mite tighter. Rose, meanwhile, got up and left the kitchen a moment to be sure her father didn't need help with anything, then came back in to retake her seat and finish her gift wrapping before dinner got underway.

“You never told me,” Dezel half-whispered as Brad's footfalls indicated he was heading upstairs, “How much does your dad know about me, anyway, aside from the fact that I'm legally blind and volunteer at the animal shelter?”

A question he was suddenly wishing he has asked a whole lot sooner.

“Just the important stuff, but not like the really personal stuff, you know? Like I didn't tell him about your uncle or anything like that,” Rose replied before glancing up from her tangles of curling ribbon and shiny peels of wrapping paper. A smirk was evident in her tone when she spoke again. “Why? You nervous again?”

“No.” Dezel glanced back toward the television screen. “Just wondering.”

“Wondering and nervous. I can tell and you don't have to act like you're not.”

Dezel said nothing in return, not trusting himself to maintain his usual stoic tone if he spoke.

“Hey, it'll be fine. I think Dad already likes you, just from what he's heard from me. Just relax and be yourself.”

“Me being myself didn't really leave that great of an impression with you the first couple of times we met, did it?”

Her foot nudged his gently under the table. “Was that really you, though? Or is this the real you. I think it's the latter and if I didn't, I wouldn't have invited you to stay over winter break.”

A frown tugged at the corners of Dezel's mouth and he clammed up after that, choosing to focus his attention on the weather report currently being broadcast. Rose hummed to herself as she finished wrapping the last present, unconcerned with the upcoming meeting of parent and guest.

“So you must be the infamous Dezel!” Brad entered the kitchen hardly ten minutes later, likely after getting changed out of his work clothes. It was difficult for Dezel to tell from where he sat. “Been hearing quite a bit about you, son.”

Rose gave Dezel another nudge under the table and he stood up, listening for Brad's footfalls and anticipating the right moment to extend a hand and in which direction. Fortunately for him, Brad more than met him halfway, coming around that end of the table and catching Dezel's hand in his own as soon as it came up, giving it a firm shake.

“Good to meet you, sir. And thank you for having me.” Though Dezel had never been one for formalities outside addressing his college professors, dealing with Brad felt like a natural exception. For one, he was Rose's adopted father. For another, he was the owner of a successful business that valued its employees and gave back to the community. It also didn't hurt that, from what Dezel could tell, Brad was also a bear of a man. The kind that commanded respect, lest he put his fist in your face.

“Good lad, good lad,” Brad chuckled as he released Dezel's hand. “Nice to see and hear you've got some manners.” He then glanced down at the dog lying near the chair Dezel had occupied. “And this must be Sylph?”

“Yes, sir. Thank you for allowing her to stay here, as well.”

“You mind if I pet her, son?”

“No, go ahead. And thank you for asking.”

Dezel took his seat again as Brad knelt down to lavish Sylph with some attention, allowing her to sniff his hands before ruffling the fur around her head and ears. The sound of Sylph's tail thumping against the floor followed, accompanying the big man's satisfied chuckle.

The sound of an incoming text interrupted the moment and Rose picked up her phone, checking it quickly before getting up herself. “Just got a text from Alisha! I'm gonna call her real quick, so be right back! Guess you three can get more acquainted while I'm gone.”

As Rose's footsteps died away, softening into silence after she thumped her way up the stairs, Dezel attempted to turn his full attention back to Brad, mind already leaping ahead to find answers for any questions that might be asked. That he was so eager to please someone he'd never met still felt incredibly odd despite every viable reason Dezel could dredge up. Part of him felt as though he really shouldn't care all that much while another screamed at him not to fuck everything up before his first night in the Aves home was even over.

“She'll probably be up there a good twenty minutes at least,” Brad sighed as he straightened up again and walked to the kitchen sink to wash up. “Ah well. That does give us some time to get better acquainted.”

“Yes, sir. Not sure what all Rose has told you, though...”

“Well, for starters, she didn't tell me you'd be carrying on with all this 'sir' business in addressing me. You can just call me, Brad, you know. Formalities are for the workplace and I like leaving work at work much as possible once I'm home for the night. A single parent's gotta make family a priority at some point every day.”

Heat crept into Dezel's face momentarily and he nodded once. “Ah. Right. I'll keep that in mind.”

Finishing up at the sink, Brad pulled down a towel to dry his hands off. “Anyway, Rose has tried to tell me about your legally blind status, but I'm not sure I understood it right off the bat. You wanna tell me in your own words so I know how you're operating? Just so we're on the same page.”

“My central vision is pretty much gone. What remaining vision I do have is purely peripheral.” Dezel lifted both hands, holding them out to either side of himself to indicate his range of vision. “I can see both my hands this way, but nothing in between them.”

“Hn, alright. We'll be sure to keep paths between furniture extra clear for you then, just to make things easier on you and your pup. Been telling Rose as is that she shouldn't leave her shoes all over the floor in weird places, so maybe having you around a bit will make her pick up after herself a bit more.”

“I do appreciate neatness, mostly because having room to move and putting everything back in the same places all the time helps me locate them better.”

Brad snapped the towel and hung it up again, then went about pulling open drawers and cabinets to pull out cooking utensils for making dinner. “That's understandable. And don't think my daughter's the messy sort, necessarily. But you know how it is... Sometimes things just get left in weird places. Even I'm guilty of that!”

The conversation paused for a short while as Brad got dinner preparation underway, cooking up a trio of steaks and some fresh cut, roasted vegetables. Dezel's attention drifted back to the television now and then, though the sound of a knife being worked against sharpening steel easily drew his focus back to Brad again.

“So you've become good friends with my daughter this semester, eh?” Brad asked as he slid the sharpener down the length of a steak knife, the metal on metal sound sending a tingling chill up Dezel's back. “You must've done something to really catch her attention from the get-go!”

“Not really. We first met at the animal shelter, is all.”

“So she said. You must've really made quite the impression, though.”

“I'd say it was maybe the other way around.” Dezel paused, uncertain how much more he wanted to explain before deciding to take a chance and press onward. “I was leaving one day with Sylph when I heard her having an argument with one of the old vending machines out front.”

“Come again?”

“The machines are old and like to eat change. Apparently, the one she fed a few gald to didn't want to spit a can of soda out in return, so she was trying to get a hand up the chute.”

Brad chuckled and ceased his knife sharpening a moment. “Sounds like something my daughter would do. You help her out?”

“Yeah, I told her to apply some percussive maintenance and that worked. Didn't stick around long after, though.”

“You probably left her curious. Rose has always been that way. Always wanting to know everything about everyone around her.” The knife sharpening resumed once more. “And she's been on about you every other day for the last couple weeks, here. Telling me about how the pair of you gave your dog a bath, about all the animal information you love sharing, your friends at the college dorms... She's really taken a shine to you, Dezel.”

“To be fair, she's told me some about you, as well. Done plenty of bragging about how efficiently, but fairly you run the family business, for instance.”

“I'm fortunate to have a daughter who's proud of her old man, but she's had years to warm up to me. I'm just impressed by how fast she warmed up to you.”

Dezel's eyebrows arched. “How so?”

“Well, after she told me you can cook well and that you wanted to prepare a meal for us at least one evening you're here, she went through the trouble of buying a Braille label maker so she could label damn near everything here in the kitchen for you! Mostly the drawers, cabinets, spices and such, but it was still enough to keep her busy a good couple of hours.”

“She...did that? For me?”

“That she did!” The sound and scent of sizzling meat followed as the steaks hit the pan, Brad remaining on task. “You're not the first she's done favors for, but I'll admit this is the most enthused I've seen her about tasks like that.”

“That's more than I ever expected...”

“She's always had that spark in her, always willing to go that extra mile when she puts her mind to something. Even when she was a third her current age and still something of a cry baby.”

“Dad, not again! C'mon!” 

Dezel blinked in surprise as Rose's voice carried through the open kitchen doorway, her footsteps accompanying the complaining whine. Brad merely laughed and continued about the business of cooking dinner.

“You did this with Lyssa, too,” Rose went on before suddenly squeaking in embarrassment. “I mean, you don't have to tell everyone I bring over about what I was like when I was five or six years old!”

“Lyssa?” Dezel echoed, uncertain and curious, now.

“A girl Rose dated last school year,” Brad explained. “They went to prom together.”

“Oh...” Dezel found himself gripping his soda can a mite tighter, middle fluttering as though his heart had fallen into his stomach.

Meanwhile, Rose laughed in a way that belied some degree of anxiety on her part. It wasn't particularly obvious, but there was just enough of a tremor to her forced laugh that Dezel could pick up on it. “That was months ago, though! And anyway, did I hear you sharpening your steak knives in here, too? You're gonna scare my guest, Dad.”

“We are having steak for dinner, kiddo,” came Brad's casual, but sly response as he worked at the stove. “Did you want dull knives at the table?”

Briefly, Dezel lost track of the playful argument between father and adopted daughter. It was as if there was a buzzing in his ears or perhaps just in his head. An insistent noise that forced him to focus on the whirlwind of contradictory thoughts that refused to leave him be, even as the uncomfortable sensation in his gut intensified. There was no denying Dezel felt something for Rose, something he'd never really felt for anyone else on that same level. He was vaguely aware of what it felt like to have a crush, but whatever this was, it felt more intense. 

Yet Dezel was afraid. Afraid to accept what he felt and act on it, terrified that it would all amount to nothing, and leave him disappointed and alone. He had so many issues, even beyond his disability, that he'd given up on the idea of ever having a significant other; what he had told Zaveid around the start of the semester had been true enough. Romance shouldn't be in the cards for him.

Rose was too good for him, anyway. She had a more normal life, a senior year in high school to finish, and likely dreams and aspirations that did not and could not include someone with Dezel's load of overbearing baggage. Rose was a friend. A nice one. One Dezel had grown to like spending time with, but that was all. He could not expect more and the very notion of Rose wasting her time on him was enough to make him feel ill.

Abruptly, Dezel got to his feet, Sylph rising to hers a second later at his side. The nearby conversation ceased and Dezel only managed to mutter something about not feeling well before locating his companion's harness handle and commanding her to lead him out of the kitchen. Aware of the two sets of eyes on him, Dezel made his way out, somehow finding his way with Sylph's help to the half bathroom located on the first floor of the townhouse.

The tile floor was cold, even through Dezel's jeans as he knelt down in front of the toilet, gut still churning. Sylph lay down beside him, her head against his side while she watched, listened and waited, concerned for her keeper's well being. Whether he was really going to empty the contents of his stomach or not, Dezel couldn't be sure. He only knew that he didn't want to be outside of a bathroom if the worst-case scenario did come to pass. The embarrassment of needing to take his leave only made him feel worse, however, compounding his discomfort and making him wonder if he should just give up and go back to the dorms.

“Dezel...?” Rose's voice was muffled, though her concern was evident, even through the closed bathroom door. “Hey, are you okay?”

Dezel grit his teeth and shut his eyes. Why couldn't she leave him be, even for just a few more minutes? He needed time to think. To decide what to do. “Not feeling well. Probably something I ate, earlier.”

“Well, um. If you don't think  
you can handle food right now, we can always wrap it up and leave it in the fridge for you to have later,” Rose offered, that note of concern still present in her tone. “Did you maybe wanna go back upstairs?”

“I...don't know. Maybe in a few minutes.”

“You know, I think we might have some ginger ale in the fridge. Dad always says that's good for an upset stomach, so I'll bring you s-”

“Don't!” Dezel cringed at the harsh sound of his own retort. “Just...don't bother. Not sure that'll help.”

“Pretty sure we've got some Pepto or something similar around here, too. You're sure you don't want something? Anything at all?”

“Yeah, not right now.”

“Okay...”

Dezel waited for the sound of footsteps moving away from the door, yet they didn't come. For whatever reason, Rose remained on the other side of it.

“...what are you doing? Doesn't your father need help in the kitchen?”

“Yeah. I mean, I usually set the table before a meal.” There was a pause and a soft, barely-there creak as Rose leaned against the door frame. “It'll be at least a few more minutes before I'll need to do that, though. I'm just worried about you, you know?”

“Don't be. I'll be fine.”

As Dezel finished speaking, Sylph pulled away from him and stood up before moving over to the bathroom door. She pawed at it, whining softly. Dezel sighed in frustration.

“Rose, can you let Sylph out? I think she needs to go.”

“Huh, a fine time for her to need to use the doggy facilities.” Pulling open the door, Rose stepped aside to let the dog out of the bathroom. “We'll be back in a few.”

Dezel could only shake his head and continue kneeling on the floor, one hand over his middle while his body tried to decide whether or not his anxiety-driven nausea was going to get worse or better. He could hear Rose walking away, Sylph following, her claws clicking against the tile floor as she was led to the back sliding glass door. Hardly a minute later, however, the familiar sound reached Dezel again. Head lifting as he sat back a little, he glanced toward the slightly open bathroom door in confusion.

“She wouldn't go out when I opened the back door,” Rose said as she stopped just outside. “Just stood there a few seconds and then turned right back around again.”

Sylph whined, then nosed the door open to re-enter the bathroom so she could sit on the floor beside her owner. Before Dezel could protest, Rose took that as enough of an invitation to enter, herself, leaning over to where she could place a hand on Dezel's forehead.

“I don't have a fever,” Dezel grunted, trying to duck away from her hand. Unfortunately, the motion made him feel uneasy again.

“Hmm, guess not.” Rose shrugged and knelt down beside him. “Still, I feel bad about just leaving you in here like this. It makes me feel like a bad friend and host.”

Dezel swallowed thickly at the use of the word “friend.” He was so confused about how he felt that trying to pick apart what exactly Rose felt was making his heart heavy and his head spin. Some part of him would be glad to know she expected nothing but friendship from him. Even though Dezel was afraid of opening himself up even that much after what he'd so recently lost, friendship was easier than...something more. Something with greater levels of commitment. 

“Maybe...this was a mistake,” Dezel murmured, more to himself than to Rose. “Maybe I should just go back to the dorms.”

He could feel the weight of Rose's gaze on him before her hand came to rest on his near shoulder. “I guess you could if you really wanted, but...are you sure, Dezel? I don't want you to be here if you don't want to be, but if you're sure you're fine with being alone over the holiday...?”

Letting out a shaky sigh, Dezel closed his eyes. His heart ached, but he could not admit how much. “Rose... Are you sure you want me here? You and your dad inviting me to stay... Was it out of pity? I want you to be honest with me.”

“What? No! Why would we do that? I mean, I admit we'd feel bad if we knew you were by yourself over the break and that's not what you wanted. But if being alone is what you'd prefer, we wouldn't want you hanging out here out of obligation, either. An invite's just that, you know? It's a choice you get to make depending on what you want.”

“Sorry, it's just...”

“Dezel...”

“Maybe...maybe I don't know what I want.”

Soft skin caressed his own as Rose placed her hand on his before taking it into his own. Dezel tensed, nearly pulling away, but managed to still the urge. Much to his own dismay, he was hungry for the contact, even if it would give away how he felt.

“You're trembling a bit.” Rose's voice was quiet as she rubbed a thumb over the back of his hand. “Dezel, are you afraid of something here? Does my dad scare you?”

“I'd be lying if I said he didn't. A little, anyway,” Dezel admitted, voice an equally low murmur.

“He's a tough businessman at times, but he's really pretty harmless once you get to know him. Plus he likes you, he really does. I can tell, already.”

“Nice to know. It's not just him, though.”

“What, then? The size of the house and how unfamiliar it feels for now?”

“Somewhat. But not just that, either.”

Her brow furrowed. He could just make out the expression of confusion in his peripheral vision.

“Okay, well, what then? What's bothering you so much, Dezel?”

He was shaking. Gently, he pulled his hand away from her. “...you. It's you, Rose.”

“Me?” Her brows arched, vanishing behind her auburn bangs. Thankfully, she did not try to reclaim his hand. “Why? I thought we were friends!”

“We are!” Dezel shot back, the volume of his voice leaping up a notch before he realized he was letting his frustration get the better of him. Taking a deep breath, he attempted to calm himself somewhat. “We are friends and that's just it. I told myself after my uncle died that I wouldn't get pulled into anything that would hurt me like that again. I'm just a mess and I haven't been able to figure out why you even like me at all. You could be spending time with your friends from school. With other shelter volunteers. People who are better than me! I just...I... I don't feel like I should be here.”

Rose huffed at his side. “Dammit, Dezel! I wouldn't have asked you over if I didn't like you or not want you around! Why do you have to be so hard on yourself? You're just recovering, okay? I'm not going to blame you for having issues when you lost the man who raised you hardly six months ago! Hell, I can't even imagine what losing my father would be like. If anything happened to Dad, I'd be a disaster for months, even if most people couldn't tell from the outside.”

“I just...I'm sorry, I don't...” Dammit all, his composure was going right down the drain. Throat feeling tight, Dezel rubbed at one eye with the back of his hand. “I don't know what I'm doing. Godsdammit, just...fuck me, I don't know!”

Warmth suddenly surrounded him as Rose shifted her position and hugged him from behind, her head coming to rest against his own. Dezel froze, too frightened to move, almost too scared to breathe.

“Rose...”

“Do you want me to let go of you?” Though her voice was quiet, it was impossible to miss the warmth in it, echoing her embrace.

Dezel let out a shaky breath, one trembling hand coming to rest of hers where they clasped about his middle. He couldn't remember the last time someone had hugged him, not since Lafarga passed away. 

“No,” he breathed, ashamed at how desperate he was to soak up every bit of blessed contact she offered at that moment. 

“Do you want to leave? I can take you back to the campus after dinner if you want. Or first thing tomorrow morning.”

She pressed her face against his back, just below the base of his neck. He could feel her hot breath permeating the fabric of his shirt. He shivered, hand gripping hers a little tighter.

“No,” he finally said after a long moment of silence. “I do want to be here. And I'm sorry, Rose. For all this drama and trouble. I guess I've just had so much trouble believing someone like you wanted someone like me around.”

She settled against him further, almost cuddling against his back. Some part of him cried out for more, to have her where he could get his own two arms around her. But he stamped out the demand until it was little more than a needy whimper.

“You're such an idiot,” she whispered, though the fond tone in her words was unmistakable. “But I don't know. Maybe that's part of why I like you. You were kind of a stuck up ass about all your animal knowledge when we first met, but you're such a damn softie underneath it all. Unsure of yourself while giving unconditionally to the animals at the shelter who need help the most. I like you, Dezel. You're just going to have to live with that.”

“I like you, too, Rose. And...I like being with you.”

“That's good since I like being with you, too. And I'll be with you a lot over the next week and a half.” She was smiling. He could hear it in her voice.

It was hard for him not to smile a little, as well.

“So what do you want to do?” she asked, finally releasing him and leaning back a little. “If you still feel off, you can always go to bed early and we'll leave a plate of food for you in the fridge for later.”

Dezel shook his head once. “It'd be rude of me to skip out on dinner at the appropriate time, especially since your dad made it a point to be here for my first night over. I think I'll be okay.”

“Alright. I should go set the table, then, and if you're not back out there when I'm done, I'll come to check on you again.” Rose got to her feet, giving Sylph a pat on the head before moving to exit the bathroom.

“Hey, Rose?” Dezel turned toward her as she left, causing her to poke her head back in again.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

“For what?”

“For...just being here,” he replied, struggling a little with the words. “And for not getting angry with me.”

“The 'being there' part is just what friends do for each other, Dezel. Don't worry about it. As for not getting angry, you can pay me back by making dessert to go with dinner later this week!”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Dezel couldn't help but chuckle a little. “...cheeky. But fine. I'll do that.”

Rose laughed a little herself, obviously happy with his agreement on the idea, then disappeared from the door to head back to the kitchen. Dezel remained seated on the floor a minute longer, taking a few deep breaths to allow the last of his shaking nerves to dissipate. When he finally stood up again, he couldn't help but cast an accusing, but mildly amused glance in Sylph's direction.

“You did that purpose, didn't you, Sylph? You never needed to go outside at all, did you? Rotten pup.”

Sylph stood up and panted happily at him, which was all the response Dezel needed. He patted her on the head and stroked her between her ears.

“Alright, c'mon, then. Let's go have dinner.”

Taking his companion by the lead, Dezel let her guide him back out to the kitchen and dinette area. When they arrived, Rose was finishing up at the table and Brad was doing a little pre-cleanup at the sink.

“You feeling alright, Dezel?” Brad asked as he shut the water off and grabbed up a towel to dry his hands. “Rose said you were a little ill, that maybe lunch didn't sit too well with you.”

Dezel could feel Rose's gaze on him, though he didn't glance her way. Inwardly, he sighed in relief, glad that she had given her father a reasonable excuse as opposed to explaining the near breakdown that happened in the bathroom. 

“Yeah, I think that's all it was,” Dezel replied as he found his way to Sylph's bowls to feed her before having dinner, himself. “I feel a bit better now, though. I should be fine.”

“Good! Would've gladly put a plate away for you later, but nothing beats hot food right off the stove or out of the oven.” Picking up a pair of serving dishes holding roasted vegetables and the cooked steaks, Brad walked them to the table. “Alright, then. Chow's on if you're both ready!”

As Dezel joined Rose in the kitchen to wash up briefly at the sink before taking his seat at the table, she nudged him gently with her elbow, her smile just visible out of the corner of his eye. He mouthed a quiet “thanks” in her direction and she winked at him before leaning in and whispering that she wanted something chocolaty for that agreed upon dessert and dinner combination. He nodded and she playfully hip bumped him before walking out to the table with the last of the serving dishes, one piled high with warm dinner rolls.

She really was something else.

Whatever that something was, Dezel loved it. And he loved her. There was no denying it any longer.


End file.
